Samurai: The Lightning Samurai
by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Summary: After a visit from an old friend, Aliyah heads to Panorama City to help a new team of Rangers in their battle against an ancient warlord.
1. The Team Unites

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the huge delay. I decided to take a break from writing for a while.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Power Rangers. It belongs to Haim Saban. No copyright infringement intended in the making of this series. I only own my OCs and anything that is unrecognisable from the show.

 **Rating:** T

 **Warning:** This is arc 2 of the Aliyah series. To avoid confusion be sure to read Arc 1 first - **Lightning Storm, Ranger Form, Prehistoric Storm, Against All Odds, Secrets and Lies, Destiny Fulfilled, and Second Chance.**

* * *

Aliyah stood silently as she listened to Daisuke, the head guardian at the Tengen Gate and her grandfather-in-law, as he explained the current situation in northern California.

"I understand you've retired," Daisuke said, turning to the former White Ranger. "But the new Rangers are inexperienced in battle, and their training has yet to be complete."

"I get what you're saying," said Aliyah, unfolding her arms. "But why me? I am sure there are others out there more qualified than I am. I mean, I'm not even a Samurai."

Daisuke nodded. "But you know the way of a Samurai," he said. "It's not that much different to that of the Ninja. And, regardless, you're not going there to teach them how to be Samurai Rangers, we're asking you to prepare them for battle."

"If they're just starting out then they have a long way to go before they need to face their final fight," said Aliyah. "This master Xandred, he's not going to show himself until he is 100 % absolutely sure that he is guaranteed a win."

"A win that he will succeed in if the Rangers aren't prepared," said Daisuke. He sighed and considered Aliyah. "I know this is a big ask, especially after everything you have been through, but I wouldn't be asking if I had someone else to turn too."

"What about Lauren?" Aliyah asked. "Surely she is more qualified than I am? She _is_ a Samurai after all, isn't she?"

Daisuke nodded. "Unfortunately, Lauren cannot return to Panorama city until the time is right," he explained. "Her training isn't yet complete, and she hasn't learned everything she needs to."

"What does that even mean?"

"I know how you feel about secrets, and I assure you that I do not mean to keep you in the dark," said Daisuke, he looked genuinely concerned that his actions would keep her from agreeing. "But Lauren must be kept a secret, even from the Samurai Rangers. I beg you, if you agree to go, please do not breathe a word of her to anyone, especially Jayden."

"Jayden, that's the red Ranger, isn't it?" Aliyah asked.

"Yes," Daisuke confirmed.

Aliyah sighed and folded her arms, looking considerate. "How long would this job take?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Daisuke said, sadly. "And, unfortunately, this team is not like any other that you'll have been a part of. Being a Samurai takes dedication and hard work, the members of the Samurai team have made a promise to stay away from the outside world, and have no contact with their personal lives. It keeps everyone safe."

Aliyah scoffed. "If you think I'm going to cut off all ties with my husband and daughter for some team, you're sadly mistaken," she said. "I spent too long fighting for this life, and even then I had to die in order to get here. You can't ask me to turn my back on them."

"I know, and I would never ask if it wasn't a necessary precaution," said Daisuke. "But no contact with the outside world keeps everyone safe from the Nighlok."

"If I'm only going in as an advisor," said Aliyah, thinking quickly. "Then I don't see how that rule should apply to me."

Daisuke reached into the satchel he had with him. "I was actually hoping you would be a field advisor," he said, placing a small wooden box on the table.

Aliyah eyed it cautiously and with great distaste. "You want me to become a Ranger again," she said.

"Yes, I do."

"And if I say no?"

Daisuke removed the lid of the box to reveal a morpher, although it was different from the ones Aliyah had previously owned. "This is called a Samuraizer," he said, taking the device from its velvet cushion and snapping it open. "It acts as a modern cell phone but is infused with Symbol power. You must learn the relevant symbols, but I am certain you will do so without fail."

"This is starting to sound more like a recruitment speech than it is a job offer," said Aliyah. "Was this your intention all along? To get me to come out of retirement?"

"I admit the field advisor position does overlap with that of being an actual Ranger again," Daisuke said. "I was afraid that I had just asked you, you'd say no."

"So, you thought you'd lie to me?"

Daisuke sighed. "Aliyah, I apologise," he said. "If I had anyone else to turn to, I would, but the stories of the White Ranger are legendary, and I can think of no one that can teach these youngsters the way of being a warrior."

Aliyah sighed. "I have no desire to be a Power Ranger again, I had no desire to even be one, to begin with," she said. "But my conscience would never let me live with myself if I turned my back on humanity. I won't be able to rest knowing that, even though there is a team out there fighting, there are people still being hurt."

"Does that mean -?"

"I'll agree to take the position on one condition."

Daisuke nodded, looking pleased.

"The whole 'no personal contact' issue," said Aliyah. "I'm not looking to seek personal favours, but I am a mother and a wife. I won't be forced to leave Cam or Penelope, or turn my back on them for a lengthy period of time. That is all I ask."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Daisuke said. "Even if we have these visits at the Shiba house where my grandson and granddaughter will be safe."

Aliyah nodded and took the Samuraizer that Daisuke offered to her. "When do I leave?" she asked.

"As soon as possible would be better," said Daisuke.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Mike sighed as he sat opposite his friends. He had left the Shiba house to clear his head, and broken one of Mentor Ji's biggest rules - made personal contact with his friends. "I joined this great team," he told them. "But they're all so talented. It's intimidating."

"Oh come on," his friend, Matt, scoffed. "You're the best gamer around. You always read the games moves, and then drop some - some creative smack-down on them."

"But I can sense an attack like Kevin," Mike sighed, slouching further in his seat.

"Who's Kevin?" his second friend, Alex, asked.

"I won't go back until I've mastered this technique," Mike swore. He was only partially listening to his friends. "I won't let my team down."

"I've never seen you this serious before," Matt said, slurping his drink.

Alex nudged him. "Yeah, you have," he said. "Remember two years ago when he was determined to master that Parkour move? He ended up getting taught by the assistant coach."

"True. She was hot," Matt said.

Mike rolled his eyes. "Being serious about parkour is different to being serious about protecting the entire world from evil," he said. "It's a big deal."

"Protecting the entire world from evil?" Alex repeated. "What video game are you talking about?"

Before Mike had a chance to set his friend straight, a scream came from the other side of the quad. He looked up and saw a Nighlok terrorising the quadrant.

"What is that?" Matt asked, tossing his food carton into the air in a fit of panic.

"Nighlok!" Mike shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Nigh-what?" Alex repeated.

"Nighlock!" Mike said, turning back to his friends. "The monsters I was telling you about."

Matt screamed and tripped over his chair in an effort to flee the scene. "Let's get out of here!" he shouted.

"I'll be right back!" Mike said, running towards the Nighlok rather than away.

"Mike!" Alex called, taking a step after him. He stopped as a hand caught his arm and hauled him backwards.

"Do you have a brain inside that head of yours?"

Alex looked up at the person stopping him from going after his friend. He couldn't see a face, only eyes hidden beneath a mask. "What are you supposed to be?" he asked.

"Someone who's going to kick your ass into gear if you don't leave right now!" said the person beneath the mask.

"But my friend…" Alex said, pointing in the direction Mike had gone.

The person shook their head. "I'll send him to find you once the danger has passed," she said. "Go. Now!"

Wanting to argue, but figuring there was no point, Alex took off in the direction Matt had gone.

Once the quadrant had cleared, Aliyah, dressed in her usual Ninja garb, turned her attention back to the battle. The Nighlok, as Daisuke had called them, was getting the upper hand on the kid she recognised as Mike.

She'd met him once two years ago whilst teaching a Parkour lesson in Ocean Bluff.

"Ahh!"

Aliyah seized the Samuraizer under her garb and snapped it open. "Here goes nothing," she said, tracing the Kanji symbol for lightning and spinning it as fast as she could. The symbol spun into her chest and she felt the usual surge of power that came with morphin'.

"Who are you?"

Looking down, Aliyah smirked at the familiar settings before her eyes. She raised her hands to reveal white gloves and run them over her new helmet. From her sleeve covered arms she saw she was, once again, the White Ranger, and if the emblem on her chest was anything to go by, she was again in control of Lightning.

"I said, who are you?!"

Snapping back to attention, Aliyah jumped up and flipped over missing the outstretched arms of the Nighlok. She drew her sword from her belt and rolled it between her hands, slashing at the arms of the creature and causing him to withdraw. "I'll do you one better, Nighlok!" she said, running forward and, using a stone plinth as leverage, flipped high into the air, arching over the Nighlok and landing behind him. "How about I keep my identity a secret, and the rest of your foolish friends can spend the rest of their days trying to figure out who destroyed you?"

The Nighlok growled and spun around.

Mike groaned and pushed himself to his knees. He watched, transfixed as the new ranger fought back and forth with the Nighlok, evading his punches and attacks with ease.

"Mike!"

A second groan escaped Mike as he heard Emily call his name. That could only mean the others had arrived.

"Mike, are you alright?" Emily asked, kneeling beside her friend as the others grouped around him.

Kevin, however, had spotted the new ranger on the block. "Who is that?" he asked. "I don't remember any references to a white Ranger, do you?"

Mia shook her head, also transfixed on the fight before her.

"She's good," said Emily.

"But who is she?" Jayden asked.

Angered by the evading white Ranger, the Nighlok pulled back as his skin started to turn a pale shade of grey. "Uh-oh," he said, as cracks also started to appear. "Looks like I'm starting to dry out. Guess I'd better punch out for now. Later, Rangers!"

A red light seeped out from under a bench, and the Nighlok slipped into it, disappearing from view.

"Coward," Aliyah muttered. She put her sword away and looked around, spotting the team Daisuke had told her about nearby. She took a deep breath and made her way over. "Here goes nothing…"

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Upon their return to the Shiba house, the Samurai Rangers were not expecting to find a baby playing in the dojo. She looked up at their arrival and broke into a grin. "Mummy!" she squealed, carefully getting to her feet and running over to the group.

Aliyah smiled and scooped up the baby, tickling her stomach and then rubbing noses.

"Wait, so you have a kid now?" Mike asked, looking confused. He couldn't believe that the woman who had once taught him Parkour was not only the new Ranger in Panorama city, but if her story checked out, the former White Ranger in the cities of Blue Bay Harbour, Reefside, Briarwood, San Angeles, and Ocean Bluff.

"A lot changes in four years, Mike," said Aliyah, balancing the baby on her hip. "Not only do I have a daughter now, but I'm also married." She raised her hand to show them the wedding ring on her middle finger.

Mia gasped as the emerald jewel inside the white band gleamed. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Thanks," Aliyah smiled.

"What's her name?" Emily asked.

"Penelope," Aliyah answered.

Emily smiled and led Aliyah into the living room where she found Mentor Ji and a man she didn't recognise, waiting for them. Ji had a bowl of water and cloth prepared on the table, and a look of disappointment crossed his face as Mike entered the room.

"I see you've all met," said Ji, nodding at Aliyah. "It saves for awkward introductions, I guess."

"You know her?" Kevin asked.

"Not personally, no," said Ji. "But I was recently made aware that a new Ranger would be joining us."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kevin asked.

"He means recently as in literally today," said Aliyah. "I didn't even know I was coming here until this morning."

Kevin frowned. "Who are you?" he asked. "You've told us your name and the basic information, but who are you exactly? How do you know about us? How are you a Ranger, and where did you get your Samuraizer? I've trained to be the Blue Samurai my entire life, and read every history book on passed Samurai Rangers, not once has there ever been an inscription of a White Ranger."

"The last white Samurai passed away years ago," said Ji. "She never passed on her legacy, so it died with her. The Samuraizer that she possessed returned to a Samurai guardian and was kept safe until another was ready to pick up its mantle."

Kevin didn't look convinced. "How long have you been training to be a Samurai?" he asked.

"I'm not a Samurai," Aliyah answered. "He's the Samurai," she pointed at Cam,

"Then why doesn't he have the morpher?"

Aliyah shrugged. "He can have it if he wants it," she said.

"Haha, nice try, Aliyah," said Cam. "Daisuke gave the morpher to you, it is yours. Besides, white isn't exactly my colour."

Emily looked at the two. She could already tell that Cam was the one Aliyah was married too. Their dynamic was obvious. "You say you're not a Samurai," she said to Aliyah. "If you're not one of us, what are you?"

"I'm a Ninja," said Aliyah. "Ninja Master now I've graduated and completed my training."

"Yes! I knew it," Mike grinned. He winced a second later as Ji pressed a cloth to his wounds. "I knew Ninja's were real. This is awesome!"

Aliyah smiled although it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, being a Ninja is awesome," she agreed. "What isn't awesome is you risking your life against that Nighlok. Why didn't you call or wait for backup?"

Mike's smile dropped. "Really?" he asked, somewhat disappointed. "You're going to lecture me?"

"It was a foolish move, Mike," said Aliyah.

"You took him on single-handedly!" Mike protested. "You seemed to fare well enough."

"And like I've said before, I am a Ninja Master, not to mention a veteran Ranger," said Aliyah. "I have a skill set that you don't."

Mike huffed and folded his arms. "I thought I could take him alone," he said, sounding defeated.

"I'm not going to deny that your actions weren't brave," said Aliyah, shaking her head. "But imagine what could have happened. If you had been defeated then that monster would've been free to go on and cause a lot more terror, not to mention it would've put your teammates at a serious disadvantage. One thing you will learn as a Ranger is that there is no I in the team, you work _together_."

"I know," Mike sighed, nodding.

"Mike," said Jayden. "Being a Samurai is the ultimate sacrifice. Since we're fighting evil, you must stay away from your family and friends in order to keep them safe."

Mike nodded. "I realise that now," he agreed. "But I need to check on them. They were caught in the attack, I can't turn my back. They could be hurt."

Aliyah shared a look with Cam. "I did make sure that they were clear before engaging the monster," she said, earning herself everyone's attention. "But, they are worried about you. I don't see why you shouldn't at least check in with them, just to put their mind at ease."

"Thank you," Mike said. He smiled briefly and then left the house.

Jayden hesitated and then turned to Aliyah.

"It's one thing for him to know that his friends are alright," Aliyah said before Jayden had a chance. "But if his friends think he is hurt they're going to come looking for him, which will be a lot worse than letting him go them."

Jayden looked like he wanted to argue.

"Is there somewhere that we can set up?" Aliyah asked, turning away from Jayden and focusing her attention on Ji.

"We?" Kevin asked, sounding surprised.

Aliyah looked back at him. "Yes, we," she said, passing Penelope to Cam. "You didn't think I'd come alone, did you?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, didn't you just hear Jayden?" Kevin asked. "Being a Samurai means no outside contact with friends and family."

"My family being here was my one condition on joining the team," said Aliyah. She turned back to Ji. "I'm sure Daisuke told you that."

Ji nodded. "Of course. Follow me," he indicated down the hall and led Cam from the room. The family of three didn't have many things with them, just a simple holdall that contained a few clothes and other belongings. If they needed anything else, they could simply purchase it in town.

With her husband and daughter out of earshot, Aliyah turned her attention to the team. "If we're going to be living together there are a few things you should know about me," she said. "Yes, I'm an athlete, and yes I practice parkour and urban climbing. I train to a very strict schedule which starts at 6am every morning."

"You'll fit in with Kevin then," said Emily, happily. "He's always up before dawn too."

Aliyah cast a glance at the blue ranger, he seemed to be giving her a look of approval.

"There is one more very important detail," said Aliyah. "Something that not many people know, or should know, but since we're going to be team and housemates, it is essential that you know." She took a deep breath and looked around at them all. "Don't worry, I'm not a serial killer, but I am a witch - both figuratively and literally - I have magic."

Kevin scoffed. "You may not be a serial killer but you are crazy," he said. "Magic isn't real."

"No?" Aliyah asked. "Then what do you call Symbol power?"

"It's not magic."

"It's a close second!" Aliyah argued.

Kevin shook his head, determinedly.

Aliyah rolled her eyes and took her mystic morpher from her jacket pocket, she had decided to bring it with her in the event that someone would disbelieve her when she revealed her true identity. She punched in three digits and pointed the morpher at Kevin, " _ **Levitatus Milanda**_ " she muttered.

In an instant, Kevin's feet left the floor. "Whoa!" he yelled as the others around him gasped.

"You were saying about magic?" Aliyah asked with a smug grin.

Kevin glared at her as Mia and Emily shared an amused look, and giggled at Kevin's expense.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

During breakfast, the next morning, Aliyah, Cam, and Penelope became aware of their newest living arrangements, including the alarm sounds whenever a monster was loose in the city. For Aliyah and Cam, who had both lived above a Ranger base before, this was old news, but for Penelope, who had never had to deal with her parents being Rangers before, it was a surprise.

"He's in the city centre," Ji said.

Aliyah passed Penelope to Cam and kissed her cheek. "Mummy'll be right back," she promised. "Then we'll go check out the new city."

"Be careful, Mummy," said Penelope, clinging to her father.

"Good luck," Cam said, kissing Aliyah before letting her go.

As the Rangers left, Ji looked up from the city map. "It must be difficult to see her running into danger," he said.

"I watched her do it for four years," said Cam, "even then it doesn't make it easier. But I know Aliyah. She doesn't go down easily."

"Daisuke informed me of her history, and her prophecy."

"The prophecy has been completed," said Cam. "It can do her no harm anymore."

Ji nodded. "But she's also lost the protection it offered," he reminded Cam. "She will need to be extra careful now."

"She is aware of that," Cam agreed. "But Aliyah has more than enough incentive to keep fighting. She has Penelope to come home too."

Penelope looked up at the sound of her name.

"I know my wife," added Cam. "She wouldn't have agreed to join the team if she thought it would take her away from her daughter."

Ji watched Cam for a second longer and then returned his attention to the map.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Rofer looked around as the scared civilians parted and the Rangers took their place. He smirked as he counted them, noting that they were a Ranger short. "So, you're back for round two, huh?" he asked, slamming his fists together.

"It's you that's going to get slammed," said Aliyah.

"Such confidence in the face of danger," Rofer laughed. "Let's eliminate it."

"Do you always mouth off to the monsters?" Kevin asked.

Aliyah shrugged. "You'll get used to it," she said, reaching for her Samuraizer.

"Go, Go, Samurai!" the team shouted, each tracing their Kanji symbols and spinning them into their chests.

"Samurai Ranger, ready!"

"Rangers together, Samurai Forever!"

Aliyah frowned at her new teammates. "Seriously?" she asked. "You're backing the theatrics when there's a monster on the loose?"

"Hey!" Rofer called, interrupting any reply the others could give. "Where's your green ranger buddy? Now that it's crunch-time, broccoli boy went bye-bye."

"He'll be here!" Aliyah called.

"You're right," Mike called, running towards his team. "I'm right here!" He jumped over his friends and rolled back to his feet. "Stay back," he advised. "I'm going to take this Nighlok alone."

"You can't!" Kevin said, trying to intervene.

"I'm going to try," said Mike. "It's payback time - Samuraizer! Go, Go, Samurai!"

He morphed and readied his Samurai sword.

"Attack, Moogers!" Rofer ordered.

Aliyah watched with keen interest as Mike shredded the Moogers and then went after Rofer.

"Aren't we going to help him?" Emily asked.

"Let him try," said Aliyah.

"Weren't you saying just yesterday that there is no I in team?" Mia asked.

"He deserves a chance."

"What if he can't do it alone?" asked Emily.

"Then that's what we're here for," Aliyah replied.

Kevin shook his head and turned to Jayden. "Tell me you don't agree with this," he said.

Jayden sighed and looked between Aliyah and Kevin. He could see both their points, and he agreed with both of them too. "Aliyah's right, he deserves a chance," he said. "But, if he needs us," he added to Aliyah.

"I'm not planning on watching him get his ass kicked," said Aliyah. "If this battle starts to go south, I'll be the first to step in and turn the tide."

"Where's he going?" Mia asked as she watched Mike run away from the Nighlok. He disappeared for a few minutes before reappearing behind Rofer.

Rofer shook his great body and then pushed his arms further into the ground. Behind Mike, his giant fists burst out of the ground and surged towards the Green Ranger.

"I got it!" Jayden shouted, slashing his sword against one of the fists.

"Jayden!" Mike gasped.

"So he stopped one punch," said Rofer with an indifferent shrug. "But I've got two arms!" The first fist pulled back just as the second exploded from the ground and collided with Jayden, forcing him back into a stone pillar.

Mike dodged at the last second and looked back at his leader. "Jayden, are you okay?" he asked. He was still surprised that Jayden had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and taking a direct hit meant for him.

"How does this feel?" Aliyah asked, appearing beside Jayden and slashing her sword through Rofer's arm.

The Nighlok hissed and pulled back, releasing Jayden from his grasp.

"I got this!" Mike said. He run towards Rofer and jumped over him, holding him around the shoulders as his own fist collided with him.

Rofer groaned and doubled over. "What kind of move was that?" he wheezed.

"Kind of tricky, wasn't it?" Mike laughed.

"Wait until I've reeled my arms back in," Rofer warned. "You're all going to be toast." He struggled for a few seconds as his arms refused to return. "Uh? What's the matter with my arms?"

Aliyah looked to where Mike had initially run from and realised his plan. "Ha!" she laughed. "What's the matter, Rofer, all tied up?"

"It's time to give you a taste of my spin sword," said Mike, opening the valve on his belt and taking out a green disc. He attacked it to the hilt of his sword and spun it, causing a whirlwind of leaves to rise up around him. "Spin sword, Forest Vortex!"

Rofer growled. "If I could get my hands on you…" he said, still struggling to release his tangled up arms.

Aliyah watched as Mike ripped through Rofer with his attack, causing him to explode. She smirked as the smoke cleared, leaving Mike standing victorious across the quad.

"You were amazing, Mike!" Emily said, running up along with Kevin and Mia.

Kevin folded his arms, seemingly less than impressed. "I guess you did okay," he said.

"Hey!" Mike retorted, hitting the blue ranger in the shoulder with his sword.

"Lighten up, Kevin," Mia defended, pulling the blue ranger back. "Mike did just destroy the Nighlok."

"Not bad, Mike," said Aliyah, walking over. "I see you remember some of your basic parkour training. It's nice to see it being incorporated into Ranger activities."

"Thanks," Mike smiled. "Even after you ended our lessons, I kept training."

Aliyah nodded. "That's good to know," she said.

"It's not over," said Jayden. "Rofer's coming back as a Mega Monster."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, did Rofer return, towering over the city and causing more terror and panic to its citizens.

Aliyah looked over at her teammates. "This is my cue," she said. "Good luck." She took off before any of them had a chance to stop her.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Back at the Shiba house, Cam and Ji were watching the battle downtown on the TV while Penelope played harmlessly in the living room. Over the last four years, her parents and family members had collected as many Ranger toys as they could and allowed her to reinvent her own battles.

"Looks like we're going to have to find you a new team of toys, huh, baby?" Aliyah asked, kneeling down beside her daughter and picking up the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger.

Penelope giggled and pretended to fight off her mother with the Black Jungle Fury Ranger. "Rhino power!" she said.

"Dom will be glad to see he has a fan," Aliyah laughed, dropping Tori's figure and pretending she was out of battle. "And looks like I lost."

Cam smiled over at his wife and child just as the Samurai megazord unleashed an attack on Rofer. "As for the team, they're holding their own," he said.

"Good. I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that they've outweighed my expectations," said Aliyah.

"Have you told them that?"

Aliyah shook her head. "Not yet," she said. "I wanted to see how the fair in a Megazord battle first."

"Well, they won," said Cam, stepping away from the TV just as Rofer exploded and the Samurai Megazord stood proudly victorious over the whole city.

"This is going to be an interesting year," said Aliyah, looking from the TV to Cam, and back again.

"Indeed it is."

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Aliyah, Cam, and Ji were waiting for the team once they had returned from battle. The first thing Aliyah noticed was that while the other Rangers were impressed with Mike's skill in battle, the newest Green Ranger didn't seem all that excited or happy.

"It was so cool how you used those wacky arms against him," Emily said, causing the others to laugh as she shook her body and arms out.

Mike cracked a small, yet insignificant smile.

"Yeah, I couldn't have done it better myself," Kevin said, squeezing Mike firmly.

Mike sighed and nodded. "Truth is, I did trick him," he agreed. "But it wasn't enough. It was actually Jayden who helped me defeat him. I only anticipated the attack of one of his arms, Jayden got the other one. I couldn't have done it without his help."

"We can do anything as a team," said Jayden, smiling at Mike.

"I'm having flashbacks to Ninja Storm," said Aliyah, realising how much Mike reminded her of Shane and Hunter.

Cam chuckled and hugged her around the middle. "Hunter and Shane did take a while to learn to work together," he said. "Plus, Shane had only just realised the importance of working as a team himself."

"Yeah, I wasn't part of the team then," said Aliyah.

Bumping fists with Jayden, Mike turned to Aliyah. "So, what did you think?" he asked.

Aliyah shared a look with Cam and then returned her attention to the others. She smiled. "Another thing you'll learn about me is that I hate secrets and lies," she said, "the only thing you'll get out of me is brute honesty. So, if you don't like to be told the truth, it's tough love. When I was first asked to join the team, I turned the offer down and even tried to pass on the responsibility to someone more qualified, mostly because I thought you were all just a bunch of rookies, and I really didn't want to indulge the idea of babysitting while there was a monster terrorising the city."

The looks passed between the team told Aliyah that they did not appreciate her honesty. She shrugged it off, it was easier for them to learn early on that she wasn't going to beat around the bush with them.

"Today you proved me wrong," Aliyah continued. "But while you may not be the bunch of rookies I initially thought you were, there is room for improvement."

"Does that mean you're staying?" Ji asked.

Aliyah looked at the Mentor and smirked. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere," she replied.


	2. Deal with a Nighlok

Aliyah cocked her head to the side as she watched Jayden and Mia fight nearby. She'd be the first to admit that they both had the skill, but Jayden's technique was by far more advanced than Mia's.

"Great work, Mia," Jayden praised, putting down his training sword. "Hey, Mike, you finished with your symbols?"

Mike looked up from his work as a flurry of leaves whipped around him. "I'd say so," he grinned. "I still need a little work, but it's coming together nicely."

"Practice makes perfect," said Kevin, jogging over. He clapped Mike on the shoulder and grinned. "I know how hard you've been working on all your symbol power, but don't sweat it, alright? It took me years to master mine. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

Mike looked awkward. "Uh, yeah, anything you say, dude," he replied.

Kevin nodded and jogged away, approaching Mia as she now practised by herself.

Aliyah folded her arms and pushed off from the wall she had been leaning against. She had chosen to be an observer this morning, rather than train with her new teammates. Once she had got a taste of their fighting skills, she'd introduce them to her own skill set.

"What's going on with Kevin?" Mike asked, wandering over. Jayden lowered his practice sword and turned to his teammate. "Why is he so worried about everyone?"

"I don't know," Ji said. He too had noticed the blue ranger's strange behaviour. "He's been like this ever since you turned up, Aliyah."

"What, you think this my fault?" Aliyah asked.

"No, of course not," Ji said, shaking his head.

Aliyah turned her attention back to Kevin. He was now pestering Emily about being away from her family. "Maybe he's overcompensating," she said.

"Overcompensating?" Jayden repeated. "For what?"

"Some people just can't express themselves thoroughly," said Aliyah. "Rather than come out and say, 'I miss my old life' Kevin is trying to make sure everyone else feels comfortable with their new duties."

"You think Kevin is feeling homesick?" Mike asked.

Aliyah shrugged. "You're not?" she asked.

Mike turned back to his teammate. "But he's been training for this his whole life," he said. "We all have."

"Training for something and actually doing something are two different things," said Aliyah. "Plus, at the end of the day, you're still human. You still have human emotions, and humans are prone to feelings of homesickness all the time."

"He's never going to admit that," said Mike.

"I'm not expecting him too," said Aliyah. "But you need to let him know that he's not alone."

"How do I do that?"

"Just being there for him is a good place to start."

Mike nodded and wandered away.

Ji smiled and turned to Aliyah. "You're good at this," he said.

"What, giving advice?"

Ji nodded.

Aliyah scoffed. "Sensei will be pleased that I have learned something from him," she said. "Normally, I don't give advice. I get advice given to me."

"Then maybe there is room for improvement with you, too," said Jayden,

"Oh definitely," Aliyah agreed.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Richie hesitated and the held up his pinkie finger towards the monster, Doubletone. He had just made him a deal that Richie couldn't refuse.

"Hey!"

Doubletone looked up as the red and white Power Rangers dropped down either side of him and kicked him in the chest, knocking him away from Richie.

"Power Rangers!" Richie grinned. Ever since the Rangers had appeared in Panorama City, he had been a Ranger fan. All his friends had.

"Are you okay?" Mia and Emily running over and kneeling beside Richie.

"Alright, Nighlok, what's your business with the kid?" Aliyah asked, shouldering her Samurai sword.

"Nothing!" Doubletone growled. "We're friends, right?" he turned to look at Richie.

"You're lying!" Mike said. Richie didn't look at all like he was on friendly terms with the monster if anything he looked positively terrified.

Helping Richie to his feet, Emily pushed him gently in the direction of safety. "Run away as fast as you can," she urged him.

Without looking back, Richie did as instructed.

"Why don't you just stay out of my business?" Doubletone growled.

"Why don't you just stay out of our world?!" Aliyah asked, jumping into the air. She slashed down with her sword as the others followed her into business.

Doubletone blocked her hit and tossed her aside, just as Jayden, Kevin and Mike launched an attack against him. "Fighting you Rangers is like a walk in the park for me," he said, easily evading the three boys, and turning his sights onto Mia and Emily. "As you can see I play well with others," he laughed after tossing both yellow and pink rangers aside.

"As you can see, I don't!" Aliyah yelled jumping down from the tree above. She dragged the tip of her sword down Doubletone's stomach and then slashed across his chest.

Doubletone groaned and fell back into the tree's trunk. "This isn't over, Rangers," he warned, placing his hand against a gap. "The fun has just begun!" The gap glowed red and the Nighlok was pulled inside.

Aliyah lowered her stance and turned to the others.

"I think he's planning something really bad," said Mike, stating the obvious.

"I'm worried about that kid," said Mia. "We need to find him."

Jayden nodded. "Right. Let's split up and look for him," he ordered.

The others nodded and took off in pairs.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

After their failed attempt at fighting the kid, Aliyah and Jayden returned to the Shiba house. Meeting them at the door was Penelope and a black-eared silver cat that mewed as Aliyah approached.

"When did we get a cat?" Jayden asked, confused.

"She's mine," Aliyah said, scooping up both her daughter and the feline. "Meet Cookie. Cam bought her for me on my 20th birthday."

Jayden nodded and followed Aliyah inside. As they breached the inside of the house a foul smell reached their noses and both of them cringed away.

"Is something burning?" Aliyah asked loudly,

"Mia's cooking," Mike said from the hall. He and Emily were peering through the door into the kitchen where the pink ranger was hard at work.

"Cooking?" Aliyah repeated. "This smells worse than when the Mystic's baked a cake for Toby and nearly set the house on fire."

"Mystic's?" Jayden asked.

"Mystic Force team in Briarwood," Aliyah answered. "My third team."

"How many teams have you been on in total?" Emily asked.

"Five - Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, Mystic Force, Operation Overdrive, and Jungle Fury," Aliyah listed. "Five cities, five different teams."

"So you're a Ranger legend?" Mike asked, grinning.

Aliyah shrugged. "Sure, but I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because I hated every minute of it," said Aliyah. "I didn't want to be a Power Ranger the first time, much less five times."

"So why did you continue to do it?" Emily asked. "Especially if you disliked it so much."

"I didn't have much of a choice. When you have a prophecy looming over your head, and a destiny to fulfil, it doesn't give you many options on how to go forward."

Jayden cast a glance in Aliyah's direction. Her story reminded him so much of his own, or rather of someone's he knew.

Catching his gaze, Aliyah shot him a knowing expression and then looked away.

Jayden hesitated and then walked away. Was there a chance that Aliyah knew the truth about him?

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Early the next morning, the Shiba house was awoken by the sound of the gap sensor. Aliyah groaned as Penelope let out a wail and quickly shot out of bed to soothe her startled daughter.

"It's okay, P," Aliyah whispered, cradling the four-year-old in her arms. "I'll make sure the nasty monster pays for waking you up."

Penelope clung to her mother tightly and Aliyah carried her out of the bedroom and into the hall, almost running into Jayden as he exited his own room.

"I'm sorry this isn't brilliant living arrangements for her," Jayden apologised.

"I knew what I was getting into when I brought her here," Aliyah said, shaking her head. "You don't need to apologise for that."

Jayden nodded and led the way into the living room. Ji, Mike, and Emily were already there.

"Doubletone is back," Emily said. "Mia's just called. He's targeting Richie again."

Aliyah's hold on Penelope tightened. "I swear, what is it with monsters and little kids?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure they have a death wish."

"The nighloks haven't exactly met you yet, Ali," said Cam, appearing at last and taking Penelope from his wife. "They'll have a death wish once they get used to you."

Aliyah grinned and kissed both her husband and daughter before leaving with the others.

Cam sighed and looked down at Penelope, she was sleepily rubbing her eyes and lying on his shoulder. "Let's see about putting you back to bed, huh?" he asked, kissing her head.

He left the room, leaving Ji to monitor the Rangers alone.

 **~*The Lightning Ranger*~**

Doubletone snarled at Mia and Kevin.

"What are you up too, Nighlok?" Kevin demanded, clenching his fist tightly. This was the second time that Doubletone had come after Richie, and he was determined to find out why.

"Nothing that concerns you, Rangers!" Doubletone growled. "My friend and I have made a deal. So why don't you just buzz off!"

Mia looked behind her at Richie. The kid was staring at the baseball keychain in his hand, a look of desperation on his face.

"Why did you make him throw away his baseball equipment?" Kevin asked as a garbage truck pulled out outside Richie's house.

"Because he loved playing baseball," Doubletone answered. "I got him to give up his dream. Now that he's so sad the Sanzu River will be flooding in no time."

"But you promised if I gave up something special, I'd get some even more special back!" Richie argued. "You promised."

Mia frowned and turned to the kid. "What do you mean by getting something special back?" she asked him.

"Don't say it, kid!" Doubletone warned.

"Well, where is he?" Richie challenged.

"I said you have to be patient," Doubletone told him.

"Liar!" Kevin snapped. "Don't listen to him, Theodore, he's just trying to trick you."

"What did he promise you, Richie?" Mia asked.

Richie sighed and looked up at the garbage truck. It was loading the rubbish bin he had put his baseball equipment in into the trash shoot.

"Oh my, look at that," Doubletone laughed. "That garbage truck just took you out of the ball game. It's a heartbreaking home run. Game over."

Richie looked down at the baseball keychain again. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears and his heart dropped into his stomach. "My father is in the army," he told Mia and Kevin. "He had to go away. He said if I gave up baseball, he would bring back my dad."

Richie took a shuddering breath and unleashed the tears,

Doubletone laughed mercilessly.

"You tried to make him give up his dreams?" Mia asked. She turned to Richie. "I think you better leave," she advised.

Richie nodded and, wiping away his tears, took off.

"How dare you pick on a little kid!" Mia said, turning back to Doubletone. "That's unforgivable!"

"Samuraizer!"

"Go, Go, Samurai!"

Doubletone rolled his staff in his hands. "I think you two deserve to have a blast!" he said, firing the staff at the pair.

Mia and Kevin cried out as they were blasted off of their feet.

"Now that you're in my neck of the woods, your end is near!" Doubletone said, following them. He held up his staff again, ready for a second strike. "Tiger tidal wave!"

"Watch out!" Mia cried as a wave of fire rained down on her and Kevin, knocking them down again.

"See, I'm all kinds of trouble for you, Rangers!" Doubletone laughed.

"He's right," Kevin said, agreeing. He hated agreeing with a monster, but just him and Mia alone was no match for someone of Doubletone's power.

"Call to the beast inside - unleash the White Tigers! Double Tiger Attack!"

Doubletone cried out as he was smashed into by two white tigers, knocking him off of his feet. He struggled back to his knees as the two tigers stood protectively in front of Mia and Kevin. "Where did you come from?!" he growled.

"How about us?" Jayden asked, as he, Emily and Mike rushed in, each one slashing at Doubletone with their blades.

Doubletone hit the ground for the third time.

"Tigers, return!" Aliyah called, landing behind the others. The two tiger spirits disappeared and the team turned to their new teammate.

"What were they?" Mike asked. He sounded impressed.

"They were animal spirits," Aliyah answered. "One of them is mine, the other was given to me by an old friend."

"Wait, animal spirits?" Kevin asked. "You're talking about Pai Zhug!"

Aliyah nodded. "Yep. I'm technically a tiger master," she said. "I just turned down the master stripes when I passed my final tests."

If his body language was anything to go by, Kevin looked aghast at her news.

"Oi, Rangers, I'm not finished!" Doubletone shouted. He scrambled back to his feet and brandished his staff at the team, "Moogers, come out, come out wherever you are!"

All over the forest Nighlok foot soldiers started to appear.

"These guys again?" Aliyah complained. "They're useless!" She reached for her belt and removed the disc that Ji had given to her. "I've had Lightning Sai's, Lightning Sabres, let us see what you give me." She attached the disc to her sword and spun it. "Lightning Bayard!"

Mike snickered as a small arrow-like weapon appeared in Aliyah's hands. "Cute," he commented.

"Yeah," said Aliyah, touching the tip of the Bayard into Mike's side. An electrical current zipped through the arrow and caused Mike to yelp and jump in surprise. "Cute but dangerous."

Mike grumbled and rubbed his side as he summoned his Forest Spear and lunged at the nearest set of Moogers. He threw his spear around, rolled it across his shoulders and fired at the Moogers, cutting them down to size.

"Earth Slicer!" Emily called out. She attached her spin disc to the three-pronged slicer and threw it, as hard as she could, at the Moogers. It dodged and attacked before returning to Emily's hand.

"Now that's cool!" Aliyah grinned.

"Fire Smasher!" Jayden called, summoning his own weapon. He dodged the Moogers and, powering up his smasher, burned several Moogers at once.

"Ouch, and people say I have a fiery personality," Aliyah said, jumping over Jayden. She snapped her wrist and threw her Bayard at the next lot of Moogers. The tip of the Bayard glowed and a white beam of light wrapped around the Moogers. It cracked with electricity and the Moogers shrieked as they were electrocuted.

Doubletone groaned as the Moogers dropped like flies.

"Hydro Bow!"

"Sky Fan!"

Doubletone glared at the two rangers and summoned his double attack. "Tiger Tsunami!" he shouted, hurling a water bomb at Mia and a fiery tiger at Kevin.

The two Rangers cut through the attacks with ease and attacked Doubletone.

The Nighlok fell to one knee as energy rippled through him, "Doubletone has been double teamed!" he cried out as he exploded.

"That's what you get for making Richie so sad," said Mia, turning her back on the explosion.

Kevin nodded and patted Mia's shoulder. "There's nothing worse than a liar," he agreed.

"Lying hurts more than the truth," said Aliyah, running over.

"Yeah, well done, Mia," Emily grinned, hugging her best friend.

"Great teamwork," Jayden praised.

The ground shook, and Mike looked up as Doubletone returned. "Oh, you want some more?" he asked. "Fine. We'll give you another round."

Jayden nodded and reached for his folding zord. "Lion Folding Zord," he called, placing it on the ground. The others followed suit and Aliyah took a step back.

"If he thought being double-teamed was bad," Aliyah said, grinning. "He is in for a right shock!"

"You won't be joining us again?" Mike asked.

Aliyah shook her head. "Maybe next time," she said. "I'm going to find Richie while you guys deal with Doubletone."

"Doubletone promised that he'd bring his dad back from the Army," Mia said. "That's why Richie was giving up his baseball equipment."

"Got it," Aliya nodded before turning to Mike. "You want to see a Ninja trick?" she asked him,

"Yes!" Mike all-but yelled in his excitement.

"Then watch this!" Aliyah turned toe, run a short distance and then kicked into Ninja Streak.

Mike howled with excitement. "Oh, Ninja Streak!" he yelled. "I'm so getting her to teach me that!"

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Richie sighed as he sat on the bench watching the rest of his teammates warm up for the big game. His equipment was probably at the trash heap by now, and there was no way he was able to get it back in time for the game.

"Hey, Richie."

Richie looked up as his coach stood over him.

"A nice garbageman handed these in to me this morning," Coach said, holding up a bag containing a baseball bat, uniform, ball, and a mitt. "He didn't want to see such nice stuff go to waste. I think they're yours."

Richie grinned and jumped to his feet, stuffing his baseball keychain into his pocket. "Wow! Thanks, Coach!" he said, happily.

"Okay. Now, we got a playoff to win," Coach said, smiling. "You're a great first baseman, Richie, and we need you. Now get out there and hustle."

"You got it, Coach!" Richie said.

"Hey, Coach," said Aliyah, walking over with Mia and Kevin. "You think I could talk to Richie for a sec? I got someone who wants to wish him luck."

Coach hesitated and nodded. "Sure. But make it quick, the games about to start," he said.

"Will do," Aliyah promised. She set her laptop on the bench and punched in her password. "You told my friends that your dad was in the army, huh, Richie?" she asked, looking up the young boy.

Richie nodded.

"You know, my parents were also in the army," said Aliyah. "I didn't get to see them as often as I would've liked, either. But that didn't mean they had forgotten about me. They were fighting for me."

Richie nodded.

Aliyah smiled and clicked on a live feed link. "Anyway, after Mia told me why you were willing to give up your Baseball equipment, I called in a favour at the army base and managed to get this set up for you." She turned the laptop around and hit the spacebar,

Richie's eyes widened as an image flickered to life on the screen. "Dad!" he cried as a familiar face stared back at him.

"Hey, Tiger," Richie's father replied. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Richie nodded.

"Good. Then go get 'em," his father said. "I'm proud of you."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, Richie."

Richie smiled as the feed cut off. He looked up at Aliyah as she closed the laptop. "Thank you," he said.

"No problem, kid," Aliyah said. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Richie called as he run off.

Aliyah grinned and straightened up, tucking the laptop under her arm as she turned to Mia and Kevin.

"How did you manage to pull that off?" Kevin asked, leading the two women back to where the others were sitting in the bleachers.

"I come from a Military family," Aliyah said. "I have connections all over the bases, including the army. It didn't take me long to figure out which section Richie's father was in, and his commanding officer remembers my parents, he was more than happy to set up the feed."

"It was really sweet," said Mia. "I bet Richie's really thankful that you did it."

Aliyah shrugged. "Being a Military kid is hard, especially when you don't know where your parents are being shipped off too," she said. "Fortunately for Richie his father was on a base. My parents weren't so lucky."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Emily said, looking sadly at Aliyah.

Aliyah smiled and took Penelope from Cam as she sat beside him. "It was a long time ago," she said.

"You know, Mia, the two of us make a great team," Kevin said, turning to his partner with a smile. "We're going to fight the Nighlok and make sure that no one else has to give up what they love."

Mia nodded with a smile of her own. "Or their dreams," she agreed.

"Aliyah, don't," Cam whispered, urgently as his wife turned in her seat.

"Do you two want some privacy?" Aliyah teased.

Mia and Kevin blushed a deep red, each one glaring at the White Ranger. Aliyah smirked and turned back to face the field.

"Hey, there is the Richie, now," said Mike, pointing out to the first base.

Theo swung his bat in a practice swing and then lined it up with the pitcher. The other boy served the ball and Richie hit it with an almighty _THWACK!_

"OUT OF THE PARK!" someone shouted as Richie threw down his bat and raced around the bases, earning himself a home run.

The Rangers jumped to their feet, each one cheering for Richie.

"Yeah! Way to go, Richie!" Aliyah called, bouncing a laughing Penelope on her hip.


	3. Day Off

"Hey, guys, guess what?"

Aliyah looked up as she entered the dojo carrying Penelope on her hip. "The doctor saved you from self-inflicted brain damage?" she teased.

"No, and that was an accident!" Mike protested. "Stupid wall got in the way."

Aliyah smirked

Mia and Emily shared a look.

"What are you talking about?" Kevin asked, also confused.

"Nothing!" said Mike quickly as Aliyah attempted to reply. He shook his head and turned back to his friends. "I just saw Ji and he told me that he wants us to take the day off."

"Really?" Emily asked excitedly.

"This isn't a joke?" Mia asked, excited but confused.

"But we just started our workout," said Kevin. He whipped around and kicked a punchbag, sending it swinging into the air.

Aliyah stared, surprised at Kevin.

"Dude, you're telling me that you're going to disobey a direct order from your Samurai mentor?" Mike asked. He was just as surprised at Kevin as the others were.

"Well…" Kevin looked around at the others and shrugged. "I guess not."

Mike chuckled and looked at Mia as she started pacing.

"What to do?" Mia murmured thoughtfully. "I could shop for shoes that are designed for fighting monsters, or I could catch a flick?"

"You want to spend your one free day _indoors_?" Aliyah asked. "Wow, you're only a few years younger than me, and even I think that is boring. It's such a lovely day outside."

"She's right," Emily agreed.

"Em, I can teach you how to shred," Mike said, gesturing to his skateboard excitedly.

Aliyah smirked.

"Temping," Emily said. "But I was thinking maybe we could hit Rainbow's End? I've never been on a rollercoaster before."

"Seriously?" Mike asked. "Never ever?"

Emily shook her head. "They don't have amusement parks out where I'm from," she said.

"Then it's settled," Mia said, draping her arm around Emily's shoulder.

"Rainbow's End, here we come!" Mike grinned.

Aliyah smiled as she watched the four youngster's head towards the main doors. They stopped as Jayden entered the other side.

"Hey, Jayden, we're going to the amusement park," Kevin said.

"Wow, way to sell the excitement, Kevin," said Aliyah. "I'm almost drowning in it."

Mike chuckled and headed outside.

"Have fun," said Jayden, passing the others and heading for the back of the house.

Kevin stopped. "Wait, you're not coming with us?" he asked his leader.

"Not this time," Jayden replied. "There's something I need to do."

Aliyah frowned as she stared at Jayden.

"He's so mysterious sometimes," said Mia. "I wonder what is so important?"

"Our day off is a-wasting," said Mike sticking his head back inside.

Aliyah turned back to the others. "You guys go," she said. "I'll check on Jayden before I head out."

"You're coming to the amusement park?" Emily asked. She looked and sounded hopeful.

"I'll stop by later," Aliyah said with a nod. "There's something I need to do first."

"You're starting to sound like Jayden," Kevin said. "What if this is a test? What if Mentor is testing our decisions?"

Aliyah rolled her eyes. "It's not like that, Kev," she said. "All work and no play makes for a very dull life. When you're a Power Ranger, you need to know how to balance your personal life with your professional one."

"Then why aren't you coming straight to the park with us?" Kevin challenged.

"If you must know," Aliyah sighed, shifting Penelope to get a better grip. "A friend of mine set up a Kung Fu dojo on the other side of town, he's asked me to stop by and give a few pointers on the Tiger technique."

"Wouldn't that fall under personal settings?" Emily asked.

Kevin nodded. "Which is against our rules as a Samurai," he said.

"You worry about your life," Aliyah said. "I'll worry about mine. Come on, P, let's get you ready."

Kevin watched as Aliyah walked away. "She's continuously breaking the rules," he huffed. "It's almost like they don't apply to her!"

"Dude, why do you care what she does?" Mike asked.

"Because it reflects badly on us," Kevin insisted.

Mike shook his head. "Don't be such a stick in the mud!" he said. "Now come on, Jayden and Aliyah can take care of themselves."

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

"Alright, class, fall in," Casey called, clapping his hands and waving the beginners closer. He looked around at all the terrified faces and tried his hardest not to smile. He could remember his first day at the Pai Zhuq academy, and how totally nerve-wracking it was. He felt for them.

The door opened at the back of the room and a few students turned to see who had arrived late. Casey also looked up and smiled briefly.

"There is no need to look so worried," said Casey, earning himself the classes attention again. "This is just a beginners class. We'll go through a few little moves, and work our way up. I won't have you to do something that you feel is outside your depth, and I won't call on you to present to the others if you don't want too. Today is about helping you."

Casey looked towards the back of the class again and smiled.

"Now, let's start off with a few basic manoeuvres," said Casey. "I'll do it first, and then you copy me. Alright?"

The class murmured in agreement and watched as Casey took to the centre of the mats. He executed a perfect high kick, followed by a twist of the hips and finished with a scissor-kick. As he finished, he straightened his shirt and turned to the others.

"Who would like to come and demonstrate?" Casey asked.

A boy with short brown hair, and an air of confidence, held up his hand.

Casey pointed at him and stepped off the mat. The boy took his place. He executed the first two moves with ease but failed on the second as he lost his footing and hit the mat with a crash.

A chuckle rippled through the room.

The boy did not look pleased. "The mat moved!" he snapped at the others.

"It's alright if you get it wrong," Casey said, despite the boy's attitude. "Like I said before this is a beginners class, and I'm not expecting you to get it right away. Would anyone else like to demonstrate?"

No one raised their hands.

Casey nodded. "Alright then, we'll move on," he turned his back on the class and smiled at the latecomer. "This is Aliyah Logan, she's an old friend and she's going to help me with the paired demonstrations."

"I know you!" a small voice squeaked from the middle of the group. It parted and a girl with long mousy blonde hair appeared. "You teach Parkour in Blue Bay Harbour! My older brother attends your lessons!"

Aliyah tilted her head to the side. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Sally. Sally-Anne Johnson."

"Your brother Greg Johnson?" Aliyah asked.

Sally grinned and nodded.

"He's a good student," Aliyah said. "Fast learner. Are you?"

Sally shrugged.

"Let's find out," said Aliyah. She turned to Casey and pointed to the mat. "How about we demonstrate our first sparring match to them?" she asked.

Casey groaned and subconsciously rubbed his arm. "I'd rather not," he said. "I was hoping you had forgotten about that."

"How can I forget about putting you, Lily, and Theo on your asses all at the same time?" Aliyah asked, grinning. "And before you say anything, yes, it was using a skill set that is aimed at beginners."

Casey grumbled and took his place opposite her. "I'm going to regret this," he said, as Aliyah jumped forward.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

People ran screaming from the amusement park as Casey and Aliyah pulled up outside. The two stopped and shared a look before Aliyah jumped out of the car, she paused and turned back. "Stay here with Penelope," she told Casey. "I'll be right back."

"Got it," Casey nodded.

Aliyah slammed the door and took off at a run, pushing her way through the people trying to escape. There was only one thing that could cause mass panic like this, and that was a flea-bitten monster.

Free of any possible suspects, Aliyah reached for her Samuraizer and traced her Kanji through the air. She spun it as fast as she could and morphed, mid-run. "This is starting to get old," she grumbled, spotting the monster ahead. He had her new team-mates trapped and was powering up for another blow.

Reaching the monster, Aliyah swung her sword up and froze as it went straight through the monster. Did that really just happen? Swinging her sword around again, Aliyah was less surprised when the weapon sailed straight through the monster for the second time.

"Hey! That's my power!" Aliyah complained.

"Oh yeah?" the monster asked, turning on the white ranger. He took her momentary surprise as an advantage and punched her in the stomach, knocking her back.

Aliyah coughed and rolled back her knees. "What's your deal?" she snapped. "How do you have my powers?"

"Your powers?" the monster asked. "I've had these powers since I was born."

"Oh, that accent is just wrong!" Aliyah said, shaking her head.

"Hey!" the monster yelled.

Aliyah smirked and stood again. "Let's try this again," she said, unlatching the clasp on her belt and taking out her disc. "I know, from experience, that you can't maintain that phase for long. You'll have to solidify sooner or later."

"You think so, do you?" the monster asked.

"Spin Disc!" Aliyah yelled. "Lightning Fury!"

Aliyah rolled her sword between her hands and threw it out at the monster. A bolt of lightning escaped the tip and hit the monster, only to sail right through him.

"What -?" Aliyah yelled in surprise. That wasn't meant to happen.

The monster laughed and run forward, barrelling into Aliyah and knocking her off her feet. The white ranger groaned and tried to stand, using her sword as leverage.

"Why don't you call it quits?" the monster asked. "You can't beat me."

"Oh yeah?"

Aliyah looked up as Jayden jumped over her. He landed just beside the monster and slashed at him with his own sword. It sailed straight through, just like the others.

Multiple times Jayden tried, but yet nothing happened to the monster. Not even a tickle.

"Hey, what gives?" Jayden asked.

"It happened to us all, too," Kevin called.

The monster smirked and held up a blaster. "You attack like a toothless gator," he said, pointing the blaster at Jayden. "Check you later!"

Flipping back, Jayden kicked the blaster out of the monster's hands and regrouped with the others.

"Guys, let's attack together!" Jayden said, reaching for his spin disc. The others followed suit, and Aliyah powered up her own sword for a second attack.

The monster smirked, cockily as the team unleashed their six attacks at once. They hit, and the monster stumbled, but he didn't go down.

"Ooh, your rainbow rage just tickled my tummy," the monster growled. He powered up his blaster and took aim.

Aliyah swung her sword, deflecting the blasts as the others hid behind Jayden and his fire smasher.

"You can't faze me," the monster said, striding forward. "So all that's left for you now is the crying."

He fired again.

"This is serious!" said Kevin. "What are we going to do?"

Aliyah growled and took a step forward, clutching her sword tightly in her grasp. How dare this monster use her power for evil?

"Wait," said Jayden, catching her shoulder. He held up an orange disc but hesitated in attaching it to his fire smasher.

"Woah, what is that?" Emily asked, spying the disc also.

"I've never seen that before!" Mia said, shaking her head.

Aliyah stared at Jayden from the side. She could sense his hesitation in using the disc, and could only guess it was because of the high-levels of energy readings coming off it.

"Oh, feels like I ate cactus needles," the monster groaned, leaning over and clutching his stomach. "I'm drying out." He lifted his head and glared at the Rangers as grey flakes started to spread rapidly over his body. "Next time you won't be so lucky!" he said, before disappearing into a crack.

As the others collapsed from the beating they had taken, Aliyah turned back to Jayden and demorphed. He knew how much she hated secrets.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

"Man, that monster was working some bad mojo," Mike grumbled, pushing open the door to the Shiba house. He led the team into the living room and collapsed onto a stool.

The others followed suit.

"I don't mean to sound like that Nighlok, but our spin swords and symbol powers were, well, useless," Mia sighed.

"It's scary to think what he could've done to us if he hadn't have dried out," Kevin agreed.

"No thanks," Emily interrupted. "I'd rather think about how we're going to beat him."

"Exactly, Emily," Ji said, standing up. "Fear is the enemy. If you believe in yourselves, you can win any battle. Confidence is what brings power."

"You weren't there," said Mike, shaking his head. "Our weapons couldn't touch him."

"That's not true," Jayden interrupted. "Don't forget, we did injure him."

"For a measly five seconds," Mike scoffed.

Leaning against the wall, her arms folded and her eyes trained on Jayden, Aliyah spoke. "What is it?" she asked.

The others gave a start, having seemingly forgotten she was even there. They looked at her and then followed her line of gaze to Jayden.

Jayden looked away.

"You can try and deny it all you want," Aliyah said. "But we all saw it. So, spill, what are you working on behind our backs? What secret are you keeping from us?"

Jayden locked gazes with Aliyah. "It's a new power," he said, after a long pause. "I've been working on mastering it for some time now." He reached into his shirt and pulled out the orange disc from earlier.

"That answers all but one of my questions," said Aliyah.

"It's known as the Beetle Disc," Ji answered. "It is one of many. They're passed down from Samurai to Samurai."

"Most have been lost in battle," Jayden added. "This may be the only one left. With this, we at least stand a chance of beating the Nighlok."

"If that were the case you would have used the disc already," said Aliyah, pushing off the wall. She stared long and hard at Jayden, searching his eyes and face for any emotions or conflict. She then smirked. "You haven't mastered it yet."

"It's a work in progress."

Aliyah shook her head. "What exactly were you going to do with it today then?" she asked. "Wish real hard? Hope and pray that it would give you the strength to defeat the Nighlok? Or maybe you were looking to take yourself out of the equation altogether? Because that's what would've happened if you aren't ready to handle the power that comes with that disc!"

"Hey, who do you think -" Kevin started.

"I can feel the power radiating off that thing from here," said Aliyah, interrupting Kevin. She didn't care if he thought she was out of line. It was in her best interest, and the interest of the rest of the team, that she prove that she wasn't one to just accept a Red Ranger's decision based on his suit colour. If she felt that something was putting her and the others at risk, she would step up and challenge that risk.

Jayden lowered the disc.

"And I can sense your hesitation in using it," Aliyah added as Jayden avoided her gaze. "You're not ready. Using it today wouldn't have been the 'trial and error' scenario you were hoping for, Jayden, it would've been life or death for you and your team. Pulling stupid stunts like this, especially stunts that are built on secrets, is the foundation for a teams downfall."

She left the room. Allowing her words a chance to sink in.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

The Nighlok laughed as he tore through downtown, blasting at innocents and causing a ruckus. He knew his arrival would be met by the Rangers, and this time he was ready for them. If he hadn't have dried out yesterday, he would've put an end to them by now.

"You can't run far enough to escape my wrath!" the monster called, blasting another innocent nearby.

A blur run across and the next second the innocent was gone.

"Huh?" the Nighlok murmured, looking around in confusion.

The innocent, a young boy, blinked and looked up at the white ranger as she set him down out of sight. Aliyah recognised him as the over-confident kid from Casey's class yesterday. "Get out of here," she told him, pointing in the direction of safety.

The kid nodded and took off.

"Ha! So, you came back for more, eh?" the Nighlok asked as Aliyah stepped into his line of sight.

Aliyah shrugged. "You won't be saying that for much longer," she said.

Over her shoulder, the others arrived.

"How did you get here so fast?" Emily asked.

"Ninja Streak!" Mike said. "You're going to have to teach me that, Aliyah."

"Maybe if we get another day off," Aliyah said. "Right now, we've got work to do."

Mike nodded and looked over at the Nighlok.

"Ready?" Aliyah asked.

"Who put you in charge?" asked Kevin.

Aliyah rolled her eyes. "You want to do this now?" she asked.

"Just drop it, Kev," said Mike, holding up his Samuraizer. The others followed suit and drew their Kanji's into the air.

"Go, Go, Samurai!" they called, spinning their marks as fast as they could. The symbols entered their chests and morphed them into Ranger mode.

The monster growled and held up his blaster. He opened fire.

Aliyah swung her sword around, blocking the blasts. "Go!" she told the others.

Still grumbling at his self-appointed leader, Kevin followed the others into battle. He jumped over the monster along with Mike and aimed his sword at the beast's body. It slipped straight through.

"Hey, Blue, here's some for you!" the Nighlok shouted, firing his blaster at Kevin as he came back for a second attack. The blast hit him in the chest and knocked him back.

Struggling to their feet, the others regrouped around Kevin.

"There's no point in trying to stand up, dude," the Nighlok said, prepping his blaster for another attack. "'Cause I'm about to knock you all down for good."

"Hey, useless!"

The monster turned to see Aliyah running towards him in a fast-paced. "That's my word!" he growled, turning his blaster on her.

"Yeah, and phasing is my power!" Aliyah shouted. She struck him with her blade.

The Nighlok laughed as it went straight through him. "What were you hoping to do?" he asked.

"This!" said Aliyah. She ripped her disc around, powering it up and allowing ripples of lightning to electrify it. "Lightning Fury!"

The monster gulped as energy rippled through him. He wrenched himself off Aliyah's sword and stumbled back, away from the Rangers.

He sparked and fell to one knee.

"How did you do that?" Emily asked, running over.

"Experience," Aliyah said.

Breathing heavily, the Nighlok raised his head to glare at Aliyah. "I'll make you pay for that!" he said.

"You can't afford too!" Aliyah shot back.

As the Nighlok rushed forward to attack, he was knocked back again by a small black and red flying lion.

"It's Jayden!" Kevin said, breathing a sigh of relief. He looked around to see his leader standing nearby, the fire smasher leaning on his shoulder.

The Nighlok laughed. "That big blade of yours ain't buying you no respect from me," he said. "If you want to tangle, suit yourself."

Jayden stood silently still.

"Well? I'm waiting," the Nighlok goaded.

Aliyah watched as Jayden still refused to move.

"Why doesn't he charge?" Kevin asked, confused on why Jayden still wasn't attacking.

"He's nervous," Aliyah said.

"Jayden is not nervous!" Kevin snapped. "He's the Red Ranger. He doesn't show fear."

Aliyah smirked. "Red Ranger or not," she replied. "Jayden is still human, and humans are prone to fear and hesitation. If he fails to execute this battle…"

"He won't!" Kevin said, stubbornly. "You don't know him."

"You're right, I don't!" said Aliyah. "But I know what a failed attack looks like, and I know the problems it causes. Jayden will only move when he is positively sure that he can pull this off perfectly."

Aliyah could feel the glare that Kevin was giving her, but she brushed him off.

"Sheesh, I've seen glaciers that move faster than you," said the Nighlok. He loaded his blaster and aimed it at Jayden.

Still, despite the imminent threat of danger, Jayden didn't move.

Aliyah let out a sigh. "Patience yields focus, Jayden," she called. "Remember that!"

At her words, Jayden fixed the Beetle Disc to his fire smasher, he spun it around several times as flames spiralled out of control. Jayden then forced the handle down, into a trigger, and the blade became a cannon.

"Now, that's hot!" Mike commented.

"Hey, you guys, lend me your power discs," Jayden called to the others.

The others nodded and run over, inserting their discs into the cannon.

"What you got there?" the Nighlok asked, looking curious. "A rainbow pea shooter?"

"Six disc Beetle Cannon!" Jayden called, prepping the cannon against his shoulder and level the Nighlok with it. "Fire!"

He unleashed the six discs onto the Nighlok, causing him to explode.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

"Mum, mummy, I wanna go!" Penelope said, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. She was pointing at a miniature version of the carousel at the Rainbow End arcade.

"Alright, let's go," said Aliyah, scooping up her daughter and placing her securely on an empty horse.

Penelope squealed in delight as she held the pole and the ride started, turning her in a slow and steady circle.

Aliyah smiled and hung back. For a few minutes, she watched alone, before sensing someone behind her. "You did good today," she said, without looking back.

"Daisuke said you were good at that," said Jayden, falling into step beside her.

"I'm a Ninja Master, Jayden," said Aliyah, glancing to her left. "I may have flunked out of the Academy the first time but being a Ninja is everything to me. It's part of the reason I didn't want to come here."

"Why? Afraid to see that the way of the Samurai is better?" Jayden challenged.

Aliyah scoffed. "You wish," she said. She turned back to Penelope as the ride continued. "It's good to see you here, though. I had you pegged as the type to always put training first."

"There is always room for training," said Jayden. "But a person needs to find balance in his life if he is ever to succeed in his endeavours."

"You keep thinking like that and you'll be a Samurai master in no time," Aliyah said proudly. The carousel stopped and she stepped forward to take Penelope from the horse.

She turned back to Jayden.

"I wanted to say thanks," Jayden said.

"For what?"

"For being hard on me," Jayden said. "I know the others don't understand, especially Kevin, but sometimes I need a little reminder that I'm not perfect."

Aliyah smirked. "No one is perfect," she said. "Not even me. We can try to be, but perfectionism will always put us on our asses because it is unattainable." She paused and looked down at her daughter. "Look, I'm not purposely trying to give you guys a hard time, but I have five years worth experience on being a Ranger. I've seen what happens when Rangers try to be better alone than relying on their teammates, I've watched teams almost fall apart because of secrets that other rangers have kept, believe me when I say that being open and honest with your friends is the best way to be."

"What if someone gets hurt because of the truth?" Jayden asked.

"What happens if they get hurt because of a lie?" Aliyah challenged. "Look, I know what your biggest secret is… and it's not that you're afraid of what could happen if you don't master your samurai powers soon."

Jayden's eyes widened.

"The only reason I haven't said anything is because it's not my secret to tell," said Aliyah. "That and because I made a promise to Daisuke to not mention her. But," she added, before Jayden had a chance to speak, "if I feel that the secret is coming close to putting the others in danger, or it's on the cusp of taking me away from my family, I _will_ tell them."

"That's breaking your own promise to an elder guardian," said Jayden.

Aliyah shrugged. "I don't care," she said, shaking her head. "I have worked too hard to get to where I am today, Jayden, I won't let your family destroy mine."

She walked away, leaving Jayden to watch her as a feeling of dread settled in his stomach.


	4. Sticks and Stones

Aliyah paused as she entered the living room and found Mia and Kevin standing around Mike. The green Ranger sat on a stool with a hand on to his lower back. "I take it training didn't go exactly as planned?" she asked.

"Emily kicked butt," Kevin said. "Moreover, she kicked Mike's butt."

Mike scowled at his friend.

"You got floored by a chick?" Aliyah teased. "Way to go Emily."

Mike redirected his glare towards her. "We were training, and Emily got the upper hand," she defended.

"Uh-huh, sure," Aliyah nodded with a smirk.

"Here," said Emily, entering from the kitchen. She was carrying a bag of frozen peas.

"What's that for?" Mike asked.

"It will act like an ice pack," Emily answered. "I was accident prone has a kid, and it always healed me right up."

"Aren't you supposed to wrap it in a towel or something?" Aliyah asked. "You know, to save you from frostbite and burn."

" _Burn_?" Mike repeated.

Emily nodded. "But if he puts it on over his training clothes, then they'll act just like a towel does," she said. She smiled at Mike. "Here, let me."

"No thanks," said Mike, panicked. He jumped to his feet and slid away from the blonde.

"You really should," Emily said, darting after him.

Mike shook his head and run into the dojo.

Emily chased after him. "Come on, it'll make you feel better," she called.

Mike turned and headed back towards the others. Emily followed a few steps behind.

"Oh, Emily, watch out for the -" Aliyah called.

But it was too late, Emily's foot hit one of Penelope's ranger figures and hit the ground, landing on top of the frozen peas and causing the back to explode.

"Emily, are you okay?" Mia asked, jumping to her feet and rushing over to help her friend. Aliyah scooped up the figurine, tucking it into her pocket and kneeling beside the two girls.

Emily groaned as she looked around at the mess she'd made. "They're everywhere," she whined.

"Hey, don't worry about the peas," Aliyah said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Here -" she took out the morpher she'd used on Kevin the first time they'd met, and snapped it open. " _Finishio_." The peas immediately disappeared.

"Isn't using magic for everyday tasks personal gain?" Mike asked.

Aliyah looked up at him. "What? You wanted to clean that up?" she asked. "Because I can bring them back just as quick."

"No, no, I'm good," said Mike, holding up his hands and shaking his head.

"Thought so," said Aliyah. She stuffed her mystic morpher back into her pocket and turned to Emily.

"I'm such a disaster," Emily cried, running a hand over her face. It tingled from where the peas had been stuck.

"No, you're not, you were doing a nice thing," Mia said.

"I'm so sorry," Mike apologised.

"No, it's all my fault," Emily said, shaking her head. "I was being silly. You shouldn't have cleaned it up, Aliyah, I could've done it."

Aliyah shook her head. "That's okay, Emily," she said with a smile. "It's done now, and it's not like a broke a sweat or anything."

"I'm sorry you had to clean up my mess again."

"You don't always have to apologise for everything," said Aliyah. "Especially when you didn't do anything wrong. You were trying to help, besides, I should've been more careful when cleaning up after P, earlier. I must've dropped Connor," she pulled out the figurine. It was the red Dino Ranger, "when I was putting her toys away."

"Penelope names her figurines?" Kevin asked.

Aliyah shook her head. "No, Connor McKnight was the Red Dino Thunder Ranger in Reefside," she said.

"Wasn't you the Platinum Ranger on that team?" Mike asked.

"Yep."

"I remember them," said Emily. "My sister and I would always watch them on the news. She thought for sure the Red and Platinum Rangers were dating."

"She and thousands of other people," Aliyah said.

"So, were they dating?" Mia asked.

Aliyah shot her an 'are-you-serious-right-now' look.

"What?" Mia asked. "You were the Platinum Ranger, you can tell us if you were dating the Red Ranger, we won't judge."

"No, I wasn't dating Connor," Aliyah said. "He was my best friend if anything. Besides, I met Cam on my first team, and was already dating him by the time I was a Dino Ranger."

Mia sighed and shrugged. "You and Cam make a great pair," she said.

"That we do," Aliyah agreed. She stood and turned to help Emily back to her friend. "And you, little miss, Yellow," she added, brushing a curl behind Emily's ear. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

Emily smiled.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Later that morning, Emily found Aliyah outside with Penelope, Cam, and Cookie. She stood watching as the two parents corrected Penelope's grip on her training sword and placed her in front of a training dummy.

"Hey, you feeling better?" Aliyah asked, looking over at the blonde.

"Yeah, thanks," Emily nodded. She still felt somewhat self-conscious around Aliyah, if not a little intimidated. "You've already started training with her?"

Aliyah nodded and looked back at Penelope. "Both Cam and I started our training at a young age," she said. "We were both children of Sensei's, so it was only natural."

"You're the daughter of a Sensei?"

"Well, not technically," said Aliyah. "In my family, once you retire from the military you become a Sensei. My mother still had a couple of years to go before retirement. But my aunt and uncle were Sensei. They trained me."

"How old were you when you dropped out?"

"Eleven."

Emily nodded. "Can I ask why?" she asked, quietly.

Aliyah smiled and nodded. "Sure. Everyone thinks I dropped out because I couldn't cut it as a Ninja, but that's not true," she said. "I dropped out because I was tired of being compared to my sister all the time. 'Why can't you be more like Rebecca' 'Rebecca was able to master this technique her first time. Will you be just like her?' 'You're nothing compared to Rebecca.' It got tedious after a while, and I one day I decided enough was enough, and I left."

"Where did you go?"

"To live with my grandparents in Blue Bay Harbour," Aliyah replied. "They were retired Military Officials and Sensei. They occasionally did a class now and again at the academy, but they were more or less out of the game."

Emily looked thoughtful. "What made you go back?" she asked. "To the academy, I mean. You did graduate, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Aliyah nodded. "After I graduated Reefside Highschool, I went back to the Lightning Academy and trained to become a fully-fledged Lightning Master. Many of my teachers by then were aware that I had been the White Lightning Ranger and realised that I wasn't Rebecca and rather my own person, with her own fighting style. It made things along easier for me."

Emily smiled. "So, is Rebecca is your older sister?" she asked.

Aliyah smirked. "I know what you're thinking," she said, quickly. "Why am I here and not her? Because a Samurai title is passed to the oldest sibling first."

Emily blushed,

Aliyah chuckled. "It was never explained as to why I was asked to come here and not Rebecca," she said. "And I didn't think about asking. I did suggest that there would be better people out there than me, but they were rather insistent. If I had to venture a guess, I would say it's because of my late destiny."

"Late destiny?" Emily repeated.

"That's a long story," Aliyah said shaking her head. The gap sensor blared, causing both of them to look up, startled. "And we just ran out of time. Cam!"

"Go!" Cam called from the training deck.

Aliyah nodded and turned to Emily. "Come on!" she grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the house.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Arriving at the scene, Aliyah and Emily quickly found the others and the monster that was causing the problem.

"Who's the loudmouth?" Aliyah asked, drawing her sword.

"He's talking smack about people," Mike answered. "It's not cool."

Aliyah hesitated. "Well, I guess it depends on your definition of smack," she said. "I mean if he's just being honest."

"She's right," the monster agreed. "I was just saying all the wrong things right."

"It's still not cool!" said Mike, rolling his sword and running forward. Before he could take his shot, however, the monster stopped him dead.

"I know something about you," Loudmouth said, getting in Mike's face. "Your bike had training wheels until you were ten!"

Mike gasped and was then blown backwards.

Aliyah's eyes widened and she looked from the loudmouth to Mike. "This is not good," she murmured.

"And you, Blue Ranger," Loudmouth added, rounding on Kevin. "You're just boring!"

Kevin sparked and, just like Mike, was blasted backwards.

"Your turn!"

Aliyah looked around as Loudmouth stepped up towards Mia. "Lousy cook!" he sneered.

Just like the others, Mia sparked and blew backwards.

"Hey!" Aliyah shouted, swinging her sword at the monster. "It's one thing to be brutally honest, it's another when you're just trying to be mean!"

The monster laughed and caught her sword, forcing it down. "Why do you even bother?" he asked. "You know they're all going to leave you eventually!"

Aliyah gasped and then groaned as she hit the ground just short of Mia.

"Aliyah!"

"I don't understand what he's doing," Emily said. "All he's doing is saying mean things."

"Keep your guard up," Jayden said, holding up his sword. He loaded the Beetle disc onto the handle and pointed the point towards the monster. "This one's tricky."

"Come on, what tricks?" Loudmouth asked. "I'm just telling the truth. My motto is: 'if the truth hurts, excellent.'"

Jayden spun the Beetle disc.

But before he had a chance to attack, Loudmouth knocked the sword from his hands. "You're a Red-faced liar-liar, pants-on-fire!" he said. "You've got a secret!"

Jayden hit the wall behind Emily.

"Looks like we're down to you!" Loudmouth laughed, turning on Emily.

"Your words won't faze me," Emily snapped. "Jayden's got nothing to hide! You're just a mean-mouthed monster spouting nothing but nonsense!" She raised her sword and attacked.

"Nonsense?" Loudmouth asked, ducking and avoiding her attacks. "If my words weren't true, they wouldn't hurt like they do. Here's a word that will send you flying - Airhead!"

Emily slashed down, landing an attack and knocking Loudmouth back.

"Maybe I didn't say it loud enough - you're a clumsy fool!" Loudmouth shot back.

Again, Emily landed an attack.

"Impossible!" Loudmouth gasped. "Klutz!"

Emily landed a third attack.

"Dimwit!"

And a fourth.

"Whiner!"

"Why can't he hurt her?" Mike asked, amazed by Emily's resilience.

Aliyah shook her head and carefully made her way back to her feet. "I don't know," she said, her eyes trained on Emily.

"Here's one that will do the trick," said Loudmouth. "Everyone loves to tease you!"

But Emily was ready for him, again. "Earth Slicer!" she called, summoning her primary weapon. "Take that!" she threw the boomerang-like weapon and cut Loudmouth down, causing him to land with a crunch near a gap-opening.

"This isn't over, Yellow!" Loudmouth warned, disappearing through a crack.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Aliyah cracked her neck muscles as she stood in the living room of the Shiba house. Penelope sat at her feet, playing with Cookie. "I'm all for being brutally honest," she said with a groan, "but Loudmouth was just being mean."

"How is being brutally honest not being mean?" Kevin asked. "The truth hurts no matter how you look at it."

"But it's easier to be hurt with the truth than it is by lying to someone," Aliyah defended. "Would you rather I tell you something is off, or someone else? Which would be more humiliating for you?"

"Aliyah, not helping," said Cam, returning to the room carrying a book.

Aliyah rolled her eyes.

"The monster's name is Negatron," said Cam, placing the book in his hands on the table. "He likes to hurt people's feelings. He channels mental pain and turns it into physical pain. But he can only do that if what he says is true, and it's only true if you, yourselves, believe it is true."

"He caught me off guard," Mia defended. "It won't happen again."

Aliyah shook her head. "So, you don't believe you're a lousy cook?" she asked.

"Of course not!" Mia shrieked. "Why, do you?"

"I wouldn't go as far as to say you're lousy, but there is definitely room for improvement," said Aliyah.

Mike scoffed. "Well, I may have had training wheels but I didn't need them," he said.

"For what it is worth," said Aliyah. "I can't ride a bike _now_."

"You can't?" Mike asked, amazed.

"Nope, I hate bikes."

Suddenly, Mike felt better.

"Am I boring to you guys?" Kevin asked.

"You're extremely disciplined and orderly, Kevin," said Jayden, quickly. "It's a great quality for a Samurai."

Aliyah rolled her eyes.

"What about you?" Kevin asked, suddenly. His gaze trained on Aliyah.

Aliyah blinked and looked up. "What about me?" she asked.

"What did the monster say to you?"

"Nothing of importance," said Aliyah.

"It was obviously important to you as you went down, just like the rest of us," said Kevin. "Didn't he say something about being alone?"

Aliyah growled and narrowed her eyes. "What he said to me is none of your concern!" she snapped. "Just because you feel the desire to have a heart-to-heart in order to reassure yourself that what he said wasn't the truth, doesn't mean I do."

Despite being startled, Kevin glared right back. "Keeping secrets is never a good sign," he said. "Isn't that what you always say?"

"But I'm not keeping a secret," Aliyah replied. She caught Jayden's gaze from the corner of her eye. He looked away immediately. "I just don't need any reassurance as I know what he said is true, it will happen, eventually."

Cam frowned at his wife. While he was used to Aliyah's temper and attitude by now, he hadn't seen her lose control in a long time. He didn't know exactly what the monster had said to her in battle, but given her retaliation now, he had a fairly good idea.

"Emily was the only one unaffected," said Mike, steering the conversation out of dangerous waters. "That Nighlok knew exactly how to hurt us. But why couldn't he hurt her?"

"Maybe Emily has a special power of her own," said Ji.

Emily shook her head. "It's nothing great like that," she said. "I was teased and called names as a kid. It made me sad. But my sister told me just to pretend like the person teasing me hadn't said anything at all, and it really worked. So, when the Nighlok said those things to me, it was like he didn't even say them."

"Then why are you always putting yourself down?" Mike asked. "It makes no sense. Unless that's what you really think about yourself."

"Well… no… but…" Emily said, shaking her head. She stared at Mike, hurt evident on her face.

"Mike!" Kevin sighed.

"I'm sorry," Emily whispered before leaving the room.

Aliyah scoffed and pushed off the wall. "Here was me thinking that Loudmouth was the problem!" she said, running after Emily.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

With the return of the Nighlok, the Rangers steeled themselves for some heavy truths and headed downtown.

"Hey, Loudmouth!"

The Nighlok looked up and sighed as the Rangers stood over him. "You again?" he asked.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bully?" Mia asked.

"Yep. Nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Loudmouth nodded.

"Samuraizer! Go, Go, Samurai!" the team shouted, snapping open their morphers and tracing their symbols in mid-air.

"Rangers Together, Samurai Forever!"

Aliyah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, still not saying that," she said, shaking her head.

"More like heartbroken forever," Loudmouth chuckled. "Fortunately for you, I know the truth about each and every one of you, and this time you're really going to have it!"

"The truth?" Aliyah asked. "You can't handle the truth! Ha!" she jumped into the air, flipped over and slashed down with her sword, landing a hit against the Nighlok's stomach. "That crap you spewed about me last time? Not cool!"

Loudmouth laughed and punched Aliyah in the chest. She blocked his attack with her sword and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back.

"Your friends don't care about you," Loudmouth retaliated. "They merely pity you!"

"Your words only hurt if we let them, Nighlok!" said Aliyah, diving aside. "Spin sword! Lightning Fury!" She swung her sword around, casting the lightning bolt at the Nighlok and knocking him away from her.

Loudmouth groaned as he landed in a heap nearby.

Emily grinned and run over to Aliyah. "You did it," she said. "How'd you do it?"

"I thought I'd take a leaf out of your book," said Aliyah. "Besides, his words only hurt if we believe they are true."

Stumbling back to his feet, Loudmouth pointed at the two Rangers. "You!" he spat, his gaze on Emily. "This your fault! My business with you isn't finished. Call off your guard dog and face me one-on-one!"

"Who do you think you are calling Aliyah a guard dog?" Emily yelled. "She's better than ten of you put together!"

Loudmouth laughed and pointed at Emily. "You must really be a crybaby if you need someone to always look out for you," he said.

"Watch what you say, Nighlok!" Aliyah warned. "The next words out of your mouth could very well be your last."

"I highly doubt that," Loudmouth replied. "This airhead couldn't hit a fly."

Aliyah growled and the grip on her spin sword tightened.

"No, I got this," said Emily, placing her hand on Aliyah's arm.

"Are you sure?"

Emily nodded. "Sticks and stones," she said, reminding Aliyah of the old nursery rhyme her aunt Phoebe used to tell her. Its words had never resonated with Aliyah, who had always preferred to punch her way out of a situation that was bothering her.

"All right," said Aliyah, stepping back.

"Don't worry, white Ranger," Loudmouth called. "My little puppets will keep you and your friends busy - MOOGERS!"

Aliyah rolled her eyes and spun her spin disc once more. "Lightning Bayard!" she called. She twirled her hand around and then slammed the end of her bayard into her empty palm, the tip glowed white and, with a simple flick of her wrist, Aliyah unleashed a crackling whip, wrapping it around the Moogers.

"Sky Fan!"

"Hydro Bow!"

"Fire Smasher!"

Jayden, Mia, and Kevin jumped over the round-up Moogers and unleashed their own individual attack on them, causing them to explode.

"Watch out, Emily!" Mike called. While the others dealt with the soldiers, he had run off to help Emily with the general. "I've got a point to make! Forest Spear, leaf storm!"

A blizzard of leaves bombarded Loudmouth.

"Those leaves were a bush-league move, you split pea punk!" Loudmouth snorted.

Landing behind Loudmouth, Mike caught him in a headlock and looked up at Emily. "Quick!" he called.

"With pleasure!" Emily nodded. She held up her morpher and drew a symbol mid-air. "Symbol Power - Rocks!" she slashed through the symbol and hurled several stones at Loudmouth, plugging his mouth.

Mike laughed and run back over to his friend. "Now we're rockin'!" he said, high-fiving her.

"Yeah!"

Struggling to speak, Loudmouth watched as Emily strode towards him. "I've got nothing nice to say to you," she said, waving her sword. "So let's call it a day - Spin Sword, Earth Symbol Strike!"

Loudmouth cried out as the symbol hit him, overpowering him and causing him to explode.

Emily grinned as Mike cheered beside her.

"Hey, little miss," Aliyah called, running over. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

Emily chuckled.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Emily smiled as she watched Cookie attempt to catch butterflies in the backyard. The cat would stand on its back legs and pounce, trying to catch the winged bug in her front paws. More often than not, she'd miss, but on the times that she did catch a butterfly, she'd release it straight away.

"Watching Cookie was always a favourite past time for me, too," said Aliyah, stepping of the kitchen doors and finding Emily on the porch. "Especially after a long day of fighting monsters."

"She's not like most cats," Emily said, looking up. "Where I am from, the cats eat the butterflies they catch."

Aliyah sat down beside her. "Cookie's weird in more ways that one," she admitted. "You know how most cats will play with a spider?"

"Yeah,"

"Cookie won't. She'll run in the opposite direction."

Emily laughed.

Out in the yard, Cookie looked around. She purred and, butterflies forgotten, bounded across to the two humans. She stopped beside Emily, climbed into her lap and nudged her head with her head.

"If you value your freedom, don't pet her," said Aliyah. "All it takes is one, and you'll forever be trapped. Trust me."

Emily chuckled and decided to ignore the advice, and pet Cookie anyway.

Aliyah shrugged. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," she said.

"I've always wanted a pet," Emily said.

"Didn't you grow up on a farm?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, but farm animals don't really count as pets," she said. "I mean, most of them were sold to slaughterhouses, like the pigs and cows."

Aliyah shivered. "Those poor piggies," she said.

"Sorry, I forget you're a vegetarian," Emily apologised.

Chuckling, Aliyah shook her head. "Is there nothing that you apologise for?" she asked.

Emily blushed.

"You do realise you should only apologise if you do something wrong, right?" Aliyah asked.

"Does that include you, too?"

Aliyah shrugged. "If I know what I have said is wrong, and my words have deeply hurt someone, then yes, I will apologise," she explained. "But if I think I am right then you'll have a better chance getting blood from a stone."

Looking down at Cookie, Emily scratched her behind the ears.

"Why don't you ask me that question that you've been dying to ask me all day," said Aliyah. "I promise, I'll try and give you an honest answer."

Emily furrowed her brow and looked up. "I don't -" she started.

"Come on, now, Em," said Aliyah. "I know you have a burning question inside that head of yours. You've all had it since the first attack this morning. Kevin was the only one brave - but foolish - enough to try and voice it."

Emily sighed and nodded. "What did Loudmouth mean when he said 'everyone leaves you'?" she asked.

Aliyah forced a smile and, hugging her knees against her chest, looked down into her lap. "Ever since I was a kid people close to me have always left," she answered. "My parents, my aunt and uncle, my grandparents, my cousin, my sister, even friends. After a while, it became such a normal routine that I just stopped letting people in..."

"But you always speak about your friends," said Emily, confused. "Just this morning you told us about your best friend, Connor, and you've been a Ranger five times, surely you have other friends, too?"

"Oh, I do," said Aliyah, nodding, "and it was hard to let them in. I mean, there are a few that I still have a rough time with, even now, but those that I am close with proved to me that they were willing to tear down my walls."

"Like Cam?"

Aliyah smiled and nodded. "Yeah, like Cam," she agreed. "He is my one true special friend. The one person I love more than anything, the only person that has made it further than anyone else in terms of tearing down my walls. Sometimes I question why-why does he bother? Everyone else learns the truth about me, realise that they can't handle it, and then they leave." She shook her head. "But not Cam."

Emily smiled and lay her head against Aliyah's shoulder. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," she said.

Aliyah chuckled and rested her head atop of Emily's. "I guess the student has become the master, huh?" she asked.

"I know all about being insecure," Emily said. "I just never expected someone as confident as you to feel the same."

"We all have a mask that we hide behind, Emily," said Aliyah. "You're the only person I know that's not afraid to wear her true face. You know, we could learn a lot from you, especially me."

"You think so?"

Aliyah nodded. "Maybe being confident isn't always a good thing," she said. "Maybe being confident is the reason people always left. Even I'll admit that my confidence is hard to handle sometime."

"Maybe you're right," Emily said. "Being confident all the time can be intimidating. It's alright to show a little uncertainty sometimes."

Aliyah looked down at the blonde. "Thanks, Em," she said.

Emily smiled.

* * *

 **Who would've thought that Emily was the one to get Aliyah to open up? I think Aliyah just found a new friend.**


	5. Fish Out of Water

Sipping her morning protein shake, Aliyah watched in both fascination and confusion as Kevin added a spoonful of oats to his breakfast bowl atop a measuring scale. He checked the counter and carefully removed a small amount as Mike leaned forward from beside him.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked.

Startled, as if he had forgotten he wasn't alone, Kevin looked up and around. He noticed the confused looks on his teammate's faces and sighed. "There is a right way to do everything," he said. "Within the samurai code."

"Wow, you are so wound up I'm surprised you can digest your food," said Mike, mockingly.

"As a fellow athlete," said Aliyah. "I'll agree to the whole 'Eat, Sleep, Breathe' process, but not when it comes to breakfast."

"Then why aren't you eating breakfast?" Kevin asked.

Aliyah held out her shake. "I am," she answered. "I'm on a very strict eating plan. I have to be in order to be a Traceur."

"So, if I were to continue my Parkour training, I'd have to give up breakfast?" Mike asked.

"Not really, no, what you're eating now qualifies as part of a breakfast meal for Traceurs," Aliyah explained. "I just don't like oats."

Mike made an impressed expression. "I saw your diet plan in the kitchen," he said. "It's mostly protein shakes, is that common?"

Aliyah shrugged. "It depends on the person," she answered. "I'm also a vegetarian, so protein shakes work better for me than most foods. When it comes to foods such as beef or chicken, I just substitute it with a veggie salad, beans or lentil."

"That seems like a lot of work," said Emily.

"It gets easier the more you use it," said Aliyah. "When I started as a Traceur, I struggled a lot with diet control, and I even considered dieting pills, but my instructor pulled me aside and explained that the drugs would hinder my skills. She was the one who suggested I try the protein shakes, and even helped me work out a plan that fit me."

The door to the kitchen slid open and Mia stepped out carrying a plate. It was covered and immediately the others recoiled.

"I came up with a new recipe," said Mia. She set the plate on the table. "Everybody likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, right? So, for breakfast what could be better than a PB&J omelette?" She pulled off the lid with a flourish and revealed the scrambled mess beneath it.

Mike's eyes widened and he pulled back, patting his stomach. "Darn, I'm stuffed after what I've just eaten," he said. "Rain check?"

Mia nodded and looked to Kevin.

Kevin grabbed his oats, added his milk, and spooned a large lump into his mouth.

"Precision and discipline, huh?" Mike asked.

Aliyah laughed and held up her hands to Mia. "I've told you before, Mia, stick to the recipe as it is," she said.

"Yeah, but creating something new is what's fun about cooking," Mia said, sighing happily. "Maybe Penelope can try it? She loves PB&J sandwiches."

"Absolutely not," Aliyah said, shaking head. "She has a severe allergic reaction to eggs. Besides, just like me, Penelope has her own eating plan. Don't deviate from the plan."

Mia huffed and looked around at Emily and Jayden, neither seemed like they wanted to try her new breakfast recipe.

"Rangers, we have great news!" said Ji, excitedly as he entered the living area with Cam in tow. "The missing Swordfish Zord has been spotted at Limintau Beach."

"A swordfish?" Mia repeated.

"A Zord that went missing in action years ago," Ji nodded. "If we don't catch it now, who knows when we'll get another chance?"

Just that second, the gap sensor blared.

"That can't be a coincidence," said Aliyah. "A new Zord appears and there is a Nighlok attack at the same time?"

"You thinking distraction?" Mike asked.

Aliyah nodded.

Jayden stood and looked thoughtful. Finally, he turned to his teammates. "Kevin, we'll take the Nighlok," he said. "Meanwhile, I want you to go catch that swordfish Zord. Are you up for a solo mission?"

"Up for it?" Kevin repeated. "I've been waiting my whole life for this."

"With your mastery of symbol power over water, I'm confident you'll capture that Zord," said Jayden, patting Kevin on the shoulder.

The Blue Ranger nodded and left the house.

Aliyah watched him leave and then turned to Jayden. "You forgot to tell him that it's okay to ask for help when he needs it," she said. "I mean, come on, we both know how stubborn he is. If he's not careful, he could run into a lot of trouble out there alone."

"Don't worry," said Cam. "I can shadow Kevin during his task, and I know the right people to call if I need help."

"What about Penelope?" Jayden asked.

"If your contacts are who I think they are then Penelope will enjoy her day at the beach," said Aliyah.

Cam nodded and left the room. Penelope was still sleeping at the moment, but she would be waking anytime soon. He'd made a few calls and then get everything ready for a day out with his daughter.

"Now that that is taken care of," said Aliyah. "Let's go find out what this Nighlok wants."

The others nodded and followed Aliyah and Jayden from the house.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Emily gasped as she arrived at the city's parking garage and found a man lying on the ground. He had his arms curled around his stomach and a look of anguish crossed his face. "Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

"He can barely move," Mike said.

"Oh," Aliyah gagged, blocking her nose. "What's that smell? That is nasty!"

"Hey, you saying I got a certain air about me?" someone asked.

Aliyah looked around and spotted the monster at the other end of the parking garage. "Actually, I was saying that you stink," she said, taking out her samuraizer.

"Ooh! Hurtful!" the monster laughed.

"Samuraizer!" Jayden called, taking a step forward.

The others fell into step beside him.

"Ready!"

"Go, go, Samurai!"

Once morphed, the team rushed forward.

"Once you sniff my funky smell, you'll say I am a knockout!" the monster said, evading the Rangers swords. He blocked Mike's attack and kicked the green Ranger in the stomach, knocking him down.

"How's this for a knockout?!" Mike asked, jumping back to his feet and striking the monster with his Forest Speak.

The monster chuckled and targeted Mike again. They both poked and prodded one another with their weapons, each trying to get the upper hand. "One whiff of my breath will leave you feeling down in the dumps."

"No thanks, I'll pass!" said Mike.

"But I insist!" the monster said. He grabbed Mike's arms and held him forcibly in place. He breathed out, blowing green smoke directly into Mike's face.

Mike grimaced. "Urgh! Have you been gargling garbage?" he asked, heaving. He tensed, his body growing tighter and for a second it felt hard to breathe. Then, he demorphed and collapsed.

"Mike!" Emily called, running over with Mia. "Mike, are you okay?"

"That stink immobilised him!" said Mia.

Aliyah knelt beside Mike's head and felt his temperature. "He's burning up," she said.

"Come on, stinkpot!" Jayden called, running at the monster.

"Garlic and onions are all I eat," the monster said, blocking Jayden's sword. He pushed the red Ranger back into a car and leaned over him. "Picked toothpaste's quite a treat. But I haven't brushed my teeth in ages."

"That explains a lot!" Aliyah shouted. She flipped over the monster and landed on the hood of the car behind Jayden. "Hands off the suit!" she swung her sword at the monster and he let Jayden go in order to block it.

Catching Aliyah's wrist, the monster pulled her off the car hood and onto the floor. She groaned and rolled away, before scrambling back to her feet.

"Give it up!" the monster said, following her. "You're no match for the fink of stink!" He run at her, knocking them both the parking garage ledge.

"Aliyah!" Jayden called, running to the edge.

"Ninja Streak!" Aliyah called, flipping over and streaking to the ground. She tumbled forward as she landed, and rolled across the ground. But otherwise, she was okay.

Looking up, Aliyah offered Jayden an 'okay' sign before turning to look for the monster again. She stopped short as he appeared right before her eyes and blew out his stinky smell directly in her face.

"Dude!" Aliyah heaved, stumbling back. She coughed, choked and then fell to her knees as her suit disappeared.

The monster laughed.

"Aliyah!" Emily called, running into sight with the others.

Aliyah coughed and glared at the monster.

"You really are a stinker!" Mia snapped, turning on the monster herself.

"Come here!" the monster taunted. "You look pretty in pink. I wish I had a sardine sandwich to share with you. Oh wait, I could rumble up a big, juicy burp!" he stumbled as Emily joined Mia, and spin-kicked him in the gut.

Blocking Emily's high-kick the monster threw her into Mia.

"Here it comes," the monster said, blowing out a third puff of smoke. It hit both Mia, Emily, and Jayden as he rushed to help.

Aliyah groaned as the three tensed, demorphed and collapsed before her eyes.

"From my head to my toeses, I don't smell like roses," the monster laughed.

"You won't get away with this," Aliyah promised.

"No? And what exactly are you going to do, white Ranger?" the monster asked. "You know, I was warned about you. Told to be careful, but you were easy."

He turned and left the area.

Aliyah squeezed her eyes shut tight, and reached for the necklace around her neck. "Cam…" she coughed,

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Penelope giggled as run towards the blonde surfer, her arms opened wide. "Auntie Tori!" she squealed as she was lifted into the air.

Tori Hanson smiled and tickled her niece's stomach. "Isn't it my favourite niece in the whole wide world," she laughed. "Hey, Cam, I got your message," she added as the former Samurai approached.

"Have you seen anything?" Cam asked.

"Yeah, the Swordfish is about a hundred miles out in that direction," Tori pointed towards a set of rock formations in the distance. "Maddie also just messaged, she's spotted your guy."

"Kevin," said Cam.

Tori nodded. "He's trying to catch it," she said. "Why is here out here alone, though? Shouldn't he have backup or something?"

"Kevin's a tough shell to crack," Cam answered. "He's stubborn and thinks he can do it alone. There's also the matter that the gap sensor sounded as they were heading out."

"Monster attack?"

Cam nodded.

"That can't be a coincidence."

Cam chuckled. "You sound like Aliyah," he said.

"So does Kevin, by the sounds of it," Tori smiled.

Cam nodded. "Yeah, they have butted heads a few times," he explained. "But, who doesn't she but heads with?"

"Fair point." Tori nodded. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and took it out, it was covered in a thin plastic waterproof pocket, which meant that she could go surfing and not leave her phone on the beach.

"Maddie?" Cam asked.

"Yeah, she said that Kevin is struggling to lure the Swordfish," Tori said. "He's missed it about six times already. She wants to know if she should intervene."

Cam shook his head. "No. He's not ready yet," he said.

Tori nodded and typed out the reply before hitting send. "So, what exactly is Aliyah trying to teach Kevin?" she asked. She put her phone away, grabbed her surfboard and carried it, and Penelope up the beach to where she had parked the van.

Penelope laughed and scrambled inside. The van had been redecorated and was now supporting curtains on the windows, as well as a small cooler behind the driver's seat full of soda cans, and water bottles. A bucket and spade were also stashed beside the cooler, and Penelope grabbed them before dashing out of the van again.

"Not too far, Penelope," Cam said, watching his daughter run back to the sand. He watched her for a few seconds while he answered Tori. "She wants Kevin to realise that he can ask for help."

"Oh, so she wants him to learn the lesson to something that took her years to learn?" Tori asked.

"Pretty much," Cam nodded. "I think she is hoping that he will learn it faster than she did."

"How is she doing with all this?"

Cam shrugged and was about to answer when the communicator around his neck beeped. He took it out and activated it.

" _Cam, I need help!_ "

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Cam pushed Aliyah back onto the bed. "You're not going anywhere!" he insisted. "You may not be as bad as the others, but you're not going off to fight alone."

"The longer that freak is lose the more damage he can do!" Aliyah said. Unlike the others, she wasn't in agonising pain. Sure, she had been hit with the monster's stink, and her chest hurt and rattled when she coughed, but she didn't have a high fever or cold sweats like they did.

"You're still not going anywhere," said Cam. "You're weaker than you were this morning, Ji is calling Kevin to fill him in on what has happened, and I'm finishing up my research on the Swordfish Zord. It may be the only thing that can help you right now."

"Then Kevin needs to catch it!" said Aliyah.

"And he will."

Aliyah sighed and lay back on her pillows. She could hear, and see, Mike, Mia, Emily, and Jayden suffering in the beds and her heart sank. "How could this have happened to me?" she asked. "I'm a freaking Ranger Legend! I'm supposed to be better than this!"

"Even Ranger Legends have trouble sometimes," said Cam, taking out his scrolls and books. "Look at Doctor O. He is a Ranger Legend and he struggled back in Reefside. Just because you're best at something, doesn't make you _the_ best at it all."

Looking to her left, Aliyah spotted Emily and, under Cam's watchful gaze, climbed out of her bed and tucked the Yellow Ranger's blanket up under her chin.

Emily opened her eyes and smiled at Aliyah. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Shh," Aliyah nodded. "Get some rest."

With a sigh, Emily closed her eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

When Kevin came too he found himself lying on a makeshift bed inside a rundown hut. He groaned and sat up, removing the damp cloth that had been placed across his head. "What happened?" he asked, looking around.

"Oh, you're awake."

Kevin looked up and found a dark-haired female standing beyond the door. She smiled at him.

"Are you feeling better?" the woman asked. "To answer your question, you fainted. We brought you here so you wouldn't have roasted in the hot sun."

Kevin blinked. "We?" he asked.

"Yeah, my friend and I," the woman answered. "She's outside. Her name's Tori. I'm Maddie, by the way."

Kevin nodded and carefully pushed himself to his feet. "Thank you so much for your help," he said. "But I really have to go. I have to catch a fish."

"Careful," Maddie said, catching Kevin as he stumbled. She supported him over to a rock and sat him down.

"I have to get back to catching that fish," said Kevin. He tried to stand but Maddie pushed him back down. "Look, you don't understand!"

"I understand more than you think," said Maddie. "You're not going to catch that Swordfish in this state. You need to rest."

Kevin paused and looked up. "How did you =?" he asked, cutting off as Maddie interrupted him.

"Know? One of your teammates is like a sister to me," Maddie answered. "We grew up together in Briarwood."

"Aliyah," Kevin sighed.

Maddie smiled. "She had Cam call Tori and me. Said that something was going down at Limintau Beach and that she would need help in teaching someone a lesson," she explained. "I am assuming you are that person who needs to be taught a lesson."

Kevin huffed. "I don't need to be taught anything!" he said.

"Aliyah seems to think you do," said Maddie. "And, as hard-headed and stubborn as she is, she's also usually right."

A shadow fell over the doorway and both Maddie and Kevin looked up to see another female standing there. Only this female was holding a baby.

"Penelope?" Kevin asked, recognising the toddler. "What are you doing here?"

"Kev!" Penelope laughed. "I make a sand castle!"

Kevin smiled and looked to the blonde woman. "You're Tori," he answered. "I recognise you from a picture that Aliyah at the house."

Tori nodded. "You say that you don't need to learn anything," she said. "Yet, you passed out from overheating trying to catch a Zord. That tells me you're stubborn and unwilling to allow people to help you."

"This is my mission," said Kevin. "If I were meant to have help, then it wouldn't be called a solo mission."

"You can do a solo mission and still ask for help," said Tori. "Solo mission doesn't mean cutting yourself off from everyone until you succeed in doing what you sat out to do. Even if it is just asking for advice on how to proceed."

Kevin sighed and looked down.

Tori set Penelope down. "Maddie, can you keep her entertained for a little while?" she asked the brunette.

Maddie nodded and chased Penelope back outside.

Once they were gone, Tori turned to Kevin. "Look, this isn't easy for me to say, and I don't want you to feel pressured by it, but the others need that Swordfish," she said. "Cam got called away because Aliyah needed help. The only reason I came in here was to tell you that she and the others have been poisoned by that new Nighlok."

"Poisoned?" Kevin repeated. "How?"

"I don't know how," said Tori, shaking her head. "But Cam believes the Swordfish is the only thing capable of saving them. But you can't bait, lure, and catch that thing all our on your own. Both Maddie and I have control over water, if you'll let us, we want to help you."

Kevin looked hesitant.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

 _ **Beep. Beep. Beep.**_

Aliyah gave a start as she jerked awake. The gap sensor echoed from every room in the house, alerting her and the others to a monster in the city.

"Don't even think about it," said Cam, looking up from his work. He turned in his chair and sighed as his wife climbed out of bed and grabbed her jacket. "Aliyah, you can't!"

"What am I supposed to do, Cam?" Aliyah asked. "Sit here? Do nothing? I came here to be a Power Ranger, and that means protecting people. If I just sit around and do nothing, I may as well pack up and go home."

"But you haven't healed completely," Cam said following her into the hall.

"I am better off than the others," Aliyah said. "You just focus on helping Kevin, and tell Tori and Maddie we need to speed up the learning process." She swiped her Samuraizer from the table in the hall and took off out the door.

Cam sighed and turned to Ji.

"I'll call Kevin," Ji said, picking up his own Samuraizer. He was in the process of contacting Kevin when a grunt came from near the bedroom.

Cam turned to see Jayden leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. "You're as bad as Aliyah," he said, rushing to help the Red Ranger. "But, unlike Aliyah, you're ten times worse. You need to be laying down."

"No, I need to fight that Nighlok," said Jayden. "Aliyah's gone, I'm going, too."

"You can't fight a Nighlok in this condition," said Cam.

"Maybe not, but I can help slow him down."

"Just wait until Kevin comes home with the Swordfish Zord," said Ji. "It can help all your fevers."

But Jayden was having none of it. He pushed himself away from Cam and staggered towards the front doors. "Tell Kevin to keep trying," he said, "I chose him for this mission for a reason. He can do it."

Cam sighed as Jayden left. "Aliyah's going to love this," he groaned.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

"I told you I'd bowl you over with my breath!" said Yamaror as he infected another innocent. He turned the other innocents running scared around him. "Hey, you lot, step right up, and after one whiff, you'll fall right down!"

He stopped pacing as he spotted a woman cradling her toddler son nearby. She hid the little boy's face and sobbed as the monster prowled towards her.

"Want to try my broccoli breath?" Yamaror asked, standing over the mother and son. He took a deep breath and blew out the green mist, directing towards them.

"Not today!" said Aliyah, jumping between them. She held up her mystic morpher, muttered a spell, and sucked the green mist into a pocket and sealed it.

Yamaror growled. "Hey! Give that back!" he yelled.

"Alright!" said Aliyah. She held up her wand and threw the pocket at Yamaror. It opened as it grew closer and blasted him with his own concoction. "How do you like it?!" she asked, as Yamaror fell back.

With Yamaror down, Aliyah turned to the mother and son.

"Thank you!" the mother sobbed.

Aliyah nodded and helped her stand. "Go, quickly!" she urged.

The mother didn't need to be told twice and quickly fled the scene.

Aliyah turned back to Yamaror. "Maybe next time you'll think twice about attacking someone that has magic," she said. "I may feel under the weather, but I am still strong enough to fight you."

"We'll see," Yamaror said. He stood and turned to face Aliyah again.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Kevin stood on the rocks, only this time he wasn't alone. Aliyah's friends, Tori and Maddie were also with him, and so was Penelope. "I'm not sure about this," he said. "Jayden sent _me_ to catch the Swordfish Zord. He said it's because of my discipline and commitment. If I have help…"

"Jayden didn't send you out here to roast in the baking hot sun," said Maddie.

Tori turned and put her hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Why are you out here when the sun is at its peak?"

"You know why," Kevin sighed.

"I want to hear you say it," Tori urged.

Kevin sighed and shook his head. "I'm out here trying to catch a Zord to save my friends," he said.

"I'm sure there are other ways to save your friends," said Maddie. "Magic?"

"No, it has to be the Swordfish. Its Oceanic powers are pure, and only purified water can heal the other's fevers," Kevin explained. "Aliyah and Jayden are off fighting that monster right now, putting themselves in even more danger while I am out here failing!"

Tori squeezed. "Kevin, you aren't failing," she said.

"I haven't caught the Swordfish yet!"

"Because you are taking on too much at a time," said Tori. "You're worried about Jayden and Aliyah, you're worried what is going to happen if you don't get back in time, you're worried about the others, and what's going on with them, and, on top of all that, you are worried about catching this Zord."

Maddie put her hand on his second shoulder. "Tori is right," she said. "You need to focus on one thing at a time. You say that catching the Swordfish is the only way to help your friends, right? Then, catching that Swordfish should be the only thing on your mind. Put everything else aside, push it away, and don't think about it."

"It's time you caught yourself a Swordfish," said Tori, handing Kevin his fishing pole.

Kevin took the pole, looked between the two girls', nodded and cast the line out to sea.

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Aliyah ducked and dodged as Yamaror swiped and slashed at her with his sword. She turned and run up a stone pillar, flipping over him to avoid being hit.

"Maybe you're not quite smelling it just yet," Yamaror said, turning and following her. "But the sour stink of defeat is heading your way. Just look at my eyes, they never lie!" He blasted Aliyah, knocking her into a pillar.

Aliyah groaned and fell to her knees. Her breathing was coming in heavy gasps, and her chest hurt.

"What's the matter, white Ranger," Yamaror taunted. "Lost your swagger?"

Taking a deep breath, Aliyah calmed her breathing and looked up Yarmaror again. "Call to the Beast inside," she whispered. "Bring out the White Tigers!"

Two bright white colours burst from Aliyah's chest and charged at Yarmaror. He yelled out in surprise as they hit him, propelling him backwards and over the side of the parking garage handrail.

Yamaror roared as he hit the ground with a heavy thud. The white tigers disappeared and Aliyah jumped down, landing before the monster.

"You may have caught your second wind," Yamaror said, getting back to his feet. He almost laughed as Aliyah teetered dangerously to the side. She had used up most of her energy summoning her tigers, and the last of it was still wearing thin due to her poisoning that morning.

Aliyah raised her sword and slashed down at Yamaror. She missed.

"Three strikes, Ranger, and you're out!" Yamaror said. He swung his arm around and punched Aliyah in the chest,

Aliyah gasped and fell backwards. She coughed and looked up as Yamaror stood over her.

"You're out!" Yamaror said, raising his sword above his head.

Aliyah braced herself.

Yamaror cried out in alarm as he a kick to the chest sent him flying across the plaza.

Aliyah opened her eyes and looked up to find Jayden, Mike, Mia, and Emily surrounding her.

"Ali, are you alright?" Emily asked.

"Not that I am not grateful," said Aliyah. "But what are you doing here? You should be resting!"

Mike took a deep breath. He had been the one to knock Yamaror away from Aliyah, and the toll had almost taken his breath away. "Yeah? Then what does it make you, huh? Fit as a fiddle?" he asked.

"I'm not as bad as you, Mike!" Aliyah argued.

"Maybe not," said Mike, shaking his head. "But isn't you that's always saying we're stronger as a team?"

Aliyah's eyes widened as she spotted Yamaror sit up just behind Mike. "Look out!" she yelled.

Mike turned and braced himself for the attack.

It was deflected by the Dragon Foldingzord.

"Huh?" the team gasped, looking around as Kevin run into view. Tori and Maddie following in his wake.

Aliyah sighed at the sight of her friends.

"Did someone order the fish?" Kevin asked. He held up the blue symbol disk and attached it to his Hydro Bow, firing an arrow into the sky. It exploded and droplets of fresh water rained down on the monster and those infected by his stink.

Instantly, Aliyah felt like a huge weight had been lifted from inside her chest. It no longer hurt, and she could breathe normally again.

"It worked," said Mia, smiling. "That Swordfish healed us."

"That fish is off the hook!" Mike grinned.

Aliyah laughed and pushed herself to her feet. "Damn straight it is!" she agreed, high-fiving Mike.

"It's time to clear the air," said Jayden. "Samurizers!"

Since she was still morphed, Aliyah stepped back and allowed the rest of her teammates to do the same. Once powered up to their fullest potential, the fight began.

Yamaror laughed as the Rangers struck him, but to the pain subsided without him even flinching. "You Rangers can't defeat me! My skunky aroma will make you say goodbye to your senses!"

"It's time for you to chill out!" Kevin said, pulling out of the fight. He attached his new Swordfish disk onto his sword and spun it. "Spin Sword, Dragon Splash!" He wielded the sword above his head and slashed it down at Yamaror.

The cold water hit Yamaror, knocking him over.

"Oh! That water's so freezing, it's got me wheezing!" Yamaror cried out.

Spinning his own disc, Jayden summoned his Fire Smasher and turned to Kevin as the blue Ranger run over.

"Jayden, use my Swordfish disk!" said Kevin, handing the blue disk over.

Jayden shook his head. "You do it," he said. "I'll help keep it steady."

"Yeah? You got it!" Kevin nodded. He attached his Swordfish Disk to the side of the Fire Smasher and gripped the handle.

Running over, Aliyah and the others added their own disks to the cannon and took their respective places behind Jayden and Kevin.

"Cannon blast!" Jayden and Kevin called, firing the Disks.

Yamaror shrieked as the blast hit him. "I wanted a blast," he wailed. "But not like this!"

"Strike!" said Kevin. "That's one down…"

The explosion that followed Yamaror's destruction flickered and suddenly Yamaror returned, larger than life and towering over the city.

"You got this!" said Aliyah, stepping back. She demorphed and turned to Tori and Maddie as they joined her.

"I see they still make them big," said Maddie, looking up.

Aliyah nodded. "Yeah. But these guys have it covered," she said. "I owe you thanks," she added.

"You don't owe us anything," said Tori. "You know we're on hand to help if you need it. Besides, Kevin didn't need much coaxing. He's stubborn, yes, but he's got nothing on you."

Aliyah turned to her best friend. "I have two questions for that," she said. "One, is that supposed to be a compliment? And two, are we talking about the same Kevin?"

Tori laughed and wrapped an arm around Aliyah's shoulder. "Clearly you have been paying much attention," she said. "But yes, you are worse than Kevin when it comes to being stubborn and asking for help."

"I'm starting to regret calling you guys in," Aliyah muttered.

"No you don't," said Maddie, nudging Aliyah. "You love us, really."

Aliyah shook her head and looked up at the Megazord battle. The Rangers had managed to fight their way through Yamaror's fog and was in the process of destroying him with their new Megazord - The Swordfish Fencer Megazord.

"You're right," said Aliyah to Maddie, just as Yamaror exploded for the second time. "Although I do seriously question why."

 **~*The Lightning Samurai*~**

Later that evening, after the battle had been won and the city saved from Yamaror's stinky smell, the Rangers retired to the beach for some fun and a much-needed break.

Penelope giggled as she raced through the water, jumping over the rippling waves and causing water to splash all around her.

Aliyah watched from the sand, smiling as she heard Penelope laugh.

"You know," said Maddie, sitting beside her friend. "Aside from Cam, she's the best thing that's happened to you."

"You think so?" Aliyah asked.

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, I have seen you smile more in the last four years than I have in the all the time I've known you," she said. "Who would've thought that all it took to show your softer side was to make you a mother?"

Aliyah chuckled. "I guess losing my own family taught me something," she said. "That there is another family out there waiting to be found."

"You didn't just find a different family, Ali," said Maddie. "You added to your original one. You didn't push anyone out, you just invited new people in. Penelope was a great addition."

Aliyah smiled and rested her head on Maddie's shoulder. "How's V?" she asked. "She sounded tired the last time we spoke."

"Pregnancy isn't for everyone, it would seem," said Maddie. "Between her hormone imbalance and her already fluctuating temper, V has poor Xander running for the hills most days."

Aliyah grinned. "Remind me to check in more often to make sure he is still alive," she said.

"That would probably be a good idea," Maddie laughed.

Aliyah smiled and looked down the beach to where Mia, Mike and Emily were kicking water at one another. She laughed as Penelope run over to play, shadowed closely by Tori.

"Hey," said Cam, settling down beside his wife. He smiled at Maddie as Aliyah switched to lay against him instead.

"I'm going to go play," said Maddie, getting up and walking down to the shore. She passed Jayden and Kevin as they discussed the new Swordfish Zord nearby.

Kevin smiled as he watched the scene before him unfold.

"How does it feel to see all that training pay off?" Jayden asked.

"It feels great," Kevin answered. "But it wasn't just my training. You know, all the practice and dedication in the world doesn't mean much unless you truly believe in yourself, too."

Jayden grinned and nodded.

Having overheard, Aliyah laughed and pushed herself to her feet. She wandered over to Kevin and Jayden. "You know, I'll admit, I honestly thought your lesson for today was going to be about knowing when to ask for help," she said. "But, learning to prioritize your focus and believing in yourself is just a good a lesson to learn. I'm proud of you, Kev!"

Kevin smiled and nodded.

"Hey!" Mia called from the surf. "Maybe next time we have a day off, we should come back and spend the whole day at the beach!"

"Only if you promise to bring sunscreen!" Kevin called back. "Man, I nearly fried out here!" He chuckled.


	6. There Goes the Bride

"I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say your plan failed?" said Aliyah. It was more of a statement than a question.

Emily sighed and slumped into a seat. "I don't get it," she said. "I thought our fake wedding would have worked for sure."

"I told you it wouldn't," said Aliyah. "You all work under the impression that you are dealing with _just_ Moogers. You forget to realise that the Moogers are a foot soldiers, and they report to a general."

"Is that why you refused to be a part of the plan?" Kevin asked. "Because you knew it would fail?"

"Partly," said Aliyah. "But I also refused so I could come up with a better plan. Cam and I have been pouring over the statistics all day, and we've lined everything up on the map. Check it out…"

Tapping the corner of the coffee table, Aliyah opened the holographic map and pinpointed each location that a Bride had been stolen from her wedding proceedings.

"Hey, wait a second," said Mike, reaching forward. He traced each location with his finger, forming a shape on the map. "There's a pattern in the shape of a star."

"You're right," Kevin said, leaning forward. "Have you studied maps and crime patterns before?"

Mike shrugged. "Kinda. I watch a lot of cop shows," he said.

Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes. That wasn't the same thing. Cop shows were fictional, and this was no story.

"Too much was left up to chance," said Jayden. "We have to make sure we lure them in before any more brides are taken."

"I can't even begin to imagine what that poor girl's must be feeling," said Mia. "I mean, this is supposed to be the happiest day of their lives."

Emily looked concerned. "Do you think they would've taken those brides to the Sanzu River?" she asked.

"No," said Ji, shaking his head. "The living can't survive there for very long. The Moogers must have used a gap to take them somewhere else."

"How can you be so sure about that?" Aliyah asked. "I mean, from what I have seen so far, the Nighlok don't seem to care about the preservation of human life."

"I don't see why they would feel the desire to kill these brides," said Ji. "Unless there is something you're not telling us."

Aliyah shrugged. "Just making an observation," she said.

"Wherever they are," said Mia, interrupting. "If our operation had worked. I could've helped those poor brides."

"We have to try again," said Jayden, nodding.

Kevin sighed, clearly agitated. "But how do we get them to come to our wedding?" he asked.

"Here is the wedding schedule for our area," said Ji, holding up a clipboard.

The list was endless.

"How are we supposed to know which one they will pick next?" Emily asked.

Taking the clipboard from Ji, Aliyah tapped it with her Mystic Morpher and muttered a spell. The clipboard glowed platinum before going out.

"What did you do?" Ji asked as she handed the board back.

"Just a little magical help. It will only last twenty-four hours, but that's all I need," said Aliyah.

The Rangers frowned and exchanged looks.

"Need for what?" Mike asked.

Aliyah smirked, knowingly.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

The next morning, Aliyah entered the kitchen for breakfast and found the others already awake.

"You ready to let us in on your plan?" Jayden asked.

Aliyah shrugged and took a pre-made smoothie from the fridge. She pierced it with a straw and took a long sip. "I could," she said. "Or you could wait another few minutes and all will be clear."

"What do you -?"

Jayden cut off as the doorbell rang.

Aliyah grinned and left the room. The Rangers exchanged looks and followed her.

"Hey, you made it," said Aliyah, opening the front door. "Come in, come in." She stepped aside and ushered two people into the hall. One male and one female.

The male towered over Aliyah, easily. He had a mop of brown hair, and was wearing dark pants, a white shirt, and a black jacket with green stripes.

The woman had long brown hair, and was wearing similar coloured clothes to the male; expect her jacket had yellow stripes instead of green.

"Hey, wait, I know you," said Mike, recognising the man. "You're Tyler Chambers."

"Yep. Aren't you from Ocean Bluff?" Tyler asked. He recognised Mike as the bloke that had once asked for Aliyah to personally deliver a pizza to him and his friends from Jungle Karma.

Mike shook his head. "I was out there for that summer," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Meet my plan," said Aliyah. "Tyler and Ronny here are getting married."

"We aren't getting married until next week, Ali," said Ronny, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but the rehearsal is today," said Aliyah. "Which is what inspired my plan. And being former Rangers, I knew you guys wouldn't mind me hijacking your rehearsal schedule to help innocents."

Ronny rolled her eyes. "Like we had a choice," she said.

"You're right, you don't have a choice," said Aliyah, shaking her head. "You either help me, or another woman gets taken from the alter. Could you live with that on your conscious?"

Tyler and Ronny shared an amused look.

"It's nice to know you haven't changed, Ali," said Tyler. "But, we'll humour you. What's the next part of your plan?"

Aliyah grinned and held up her Mystic Morpher. "A little magical intervention goes a long way," she said. "We don't really have to do anything but turn up at the venue and act natural."

"When did you become a master planner?" Ronny asked. "Normally you're a run into danger head first, kind of person."

"Hey, I know at some point that this plan is going to fail," said Aliyah, unconcerned. "And that is when my recklessness will kick into gear, and the tables will turn. Until then, we have a wedding to get ready for."

Tyler and Ronny grinned, whilst the newer generation of Rangers looked concerned.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

"So, Ronny is going to be playing herself?" Mia asked. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Ronny is a former Power Ranger," said Aliyah. "She can handle it. Plus, her genes have been altered, just like mine and Tyler's."

"What mutant powers does she have?" Mike asked. Ever since finding out Aliyah's genes had been mutated he had taken to referring to her as a mutant.

Aliyah rolled her eyes. "She has superspeed," she answered. The term 'mutant' didn't bother her as much as many believed it would, but she also didn't like it when Mike kept on and on about it, either.

"Like the Flash?"

"Yes, Mike, like the Flash," said Aliyah. "I call her speedster, sometimes, but most of the time it is Nascar."

"Why Nascar?"

Aliyah turned to Mike. "She's Ronny Robinson," she answered. "Don't you recognise the name?"

Mike mulled it over for a few seconds before gasping. "No way…?" he gasped.

"Yes way," Aliyah laughed.

"What?" Mia asked, looking confused.

Aliyah shook her head. "It's not important," she said. "Just focus on your tasks, and all this should go off without a hitch."

"How is Ronny supposed to contact us if she manages to find the brides?" Mia asked,

"She has her Overdrive Tracker," said Aliyah. "Tyler and I still have ours, and they're still connected. They work exactly like our Samuraizers."

Mia nodded, but she still looked nervous.

"Mia, calm down!" Aliyah said. "Trust me when I say we know what we are doing."

"I hope you're right," Mia muttered, as Aliyah walked away.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Mia bit her lip as she watched Tyler and Ronny walk down the isle of the wedding venue. At the end of a silk white carpet stood a Ninja Master known as Sensei Watanabe. She wasn't sure how he was valid to conduct a wedding ceremony, but she wasn't a Ninja. Maybe their laws were different?

"I hope this works," Kevin whispered.

Jayden nodded in agreement. He and the other Samurai were crouched behind a veranda on the first floor of the hotel. They could see the whole of the back lawn where Tyler and Ronny had agreed to have their wedding. Beneath them, acting the part of Best Woman to her cousin was Aliyah.

Aliyah glanced up at her new teammates and nodded once. The plan was going well so far. Her little magical intervention meant that this was the only wedding happening today, and therefore the Moogers had no choice but to come and take Ronny.

"Mommy!" Penelope suddenly cried. She pointed to the back of the venue where a Mooger had appeared through a crack, several more appeared around it, and together they rushed down the aisle, pushing aside chairs and overturning flower arrangements in their haste.

Aliyah grabbed Penelope around the middle and hauled her into the air. She blocked a Mooger by rolling a chair in front of her and then kicked over the top, hitting the foot soldier in the head with her foot.

Playing the civilian bride, Ronny screamed as a Mooger dragged her away from Tyler. Her fingers tried their hardest to cling to his wrist, but she slipped and was pulled away, out of the venue grounds.

"Ronny!" Tyler called. He made a dash after his bride, but she was long gone.

"Tyler! Over here!" Aliyah called. She was still fighting the Moogers that had remained behind, for some reason they weren't leaving.

Tyler run back to his cousin and grabbed her shoulders, teleporting away. They reappeared inside the hotel and directly into the master bedroom where the other Rangers were waiting.

Mike's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me your cousin had teleportation abilities!" he cried. "This is soooo cool!"

"Marvel later, Mike," said Aliyah. She passed Penelope off to Tyler, and removed her Overdrive tracker from her purse.

" _Forget it! I won't help you send my friends into a trap..._ "

Mike started to bounce on the balls of his feet. He opened his mouth, probably to squeal over the fact that the Overdrive Trackers actually worked, but silenced himself as Aliyah tossed him a well-placed glare.

" _Oh. I think you will. Because if you don't, then I'll really give those brides something to cry about._ "

Aliyah and Jayden shared a look.

"That must be who the Moogers are working for," Aliyah whispered, covering the mouth piece of her Tracker with her hand.

Jayden nodded.

"Why does her voice sound so familiar to me?" Tyler wondered, aloud.

Aliyah shot him a confused look. How could a Mooger General's voice sound familiar to him?

" _Tyler, can you hear me?_ "

"Yeah, we're here," Tyler answered. "Where are you?"

" _Ali was right. There is more than just Moogers working here,_ " said Ronny. " _Their General, she knows about the set up."_

"Where are you, Ronny?" Tyler repeated.

" _We're in Shoretown near the docks,_ " Ronny answered. " _Warehouse 32, and, Tyler, please hurry._ "

"Okay. We're on our way."

Aliyah snapped her Overdrive Tracker closed and turned to Tyler. The both took hold of their wedding attire and ripped it from their person, revealing their traditional Ninja garb beneath.

"Can you do that with normal clothes?" Mike asked.

Aliyah rolled her eyes while Tyler smiled at his predecessor.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Ronny felt her blood boil as the General before her laughed. She had already told Ronny all about her plan to destroy the Samurai Rangers; she had believed it to be flawless. Send the Rangers into a trap, thinking they were going to be the heroes, yet again, and then blow them up using dynamite.

"You heroes are all the same," the General said, turning back to Ronny. "Gullible and annoying. You know? I haven't felt this good in a long time."

Ronny spied a wedding dress in the corner of the room. It was linked to the giant silk cake that the second bride, and she could only guess other brides, were being kept. The links were made of a silk, but they were moving, like water through a tube.

"What's that?" Ronny asked.

"Ahh. That's my gown," the General said, fondly. She turned and walked over to the dress, running her fingers over the skirt and sighing. "All the dashed hopes and dreams it symbolises. Oh, how good it feels to throw a bridal shower, a bridal shower of tears that will raise the Sanzu River and flood this pathetic world."

"Don't you need a to get engaged before you can throw a bridal shower?" Ronny asked, snidely. "I don't see your fiancé around here. What happened? Did he finally realise what a rotten person you are, and skip out on you?"

The General snarled and stormed back to Ronny. "How dare you!" she screeched, grabbing Ronny by the forearm and hauling her to her feet. "I'll show you what happens to people that disrespect me." She threw Ronny away and ordered the Moogers to finish her off.

"Call to the beast inside! Bring forth the Fox!"

The wooden door shattered as a green fox burst into the room. It wheeled around and charged the Moogers, slashing through them with its paws and standing protectively in front of Ronny, its teeth bared and a growl rumbling in its throat.

"What?!" the General shrieked. She wheeled around and found herself face-to-face with two Ninja's. "Who do you think you are?!"

Aliyah removed her Ninja mask and smirked at the General. "I don't believe we've met," she said. "I'm the white Ranger that you just tried to blow up."

The General faltered slightly as she stared at Aliyah. "No, it cannot be," she gasped, clutching her chest. "You're supposed to be -?"

"Dead?" Aliyah interrupted. "Yeah, maybe next time you spill your whole plan to someone, make sure the device they carry isn't switched on the minute you open it. We heard everything. Thanks for the heads up."

The General gritted her teeth and fired a blast at the two ninjas. Aliyah grabbed Tyler and the attack flew straight through them, exploding against the back wall and blasting a hole straight through.

Using the destruction as a decoy, the General and her Moogers disappeared through a crack, the glint of red disappearing just as Aliyah released Tyler.

"Ronny," Tyler said, running over to his fiancé. He helped her stand and turned to Aliyah.

"Where are the other brides?" Aliyah asked Ronny.

Ronny nodded at the silk cake behind her. "You go and help the others," she said. "Tyler and I'll free the brides."

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Aliyah asked.

"Yeah. Go. We'll meet you back at the Shiba house," said Tyler.

Aliyah nodded and took off, kicking into Ninja streak and heading off to help her new teammates.

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

"What happened to Dayu?" Kevin asked, blocking and attacking the Moogers that crossed his path. Not that far away, fighting her own set of annoying pests was Mia.

"Probably ran back to the Netherworld," Mia replied, blocking a Mooger and kicking it in the stomach.

"Yeah! Who's crying now?" Kevin said, rolling a Mooger across his sword.

The ground beneath their feet suddenly exploded, and the two Rangers were thrown through the air. They gasped and coughed as they hit the ground, and looked up to see Dayu approaching through the dust.

"Surprised to see me?" Dayu asked.

"I don't like surprises!" Kevin said, getting to his feet. He held up his sword and spun the disk on the hilt. "Spin sword - Hydro Bow!" he fired off multiple blue laser arrows, which collided with the cliff that Dayu stood.

The attack didn't even faze the General; she merely abandoned the cliff face and landed on the ground, opposite the two rangers.

"Ha! That's all you've got?" Dayu taunted. "Well, lend me your ears for the last song you'll ever hear." She tweaked the strings on her harmonica.

Gripping their swords tightly, Mia and Kevin rushed forward. They did their best to attack Dayu, but she blocked them blow for blow.

"Here's a tune with some edge!" Dayu growled, unsheathing a dagger from the top of her Harmonia. She rushed forward, breezing through Kevin and Mia, before stopping behind them.

The second she recapped her blade, the blue and pink rangers exploded.

"I must admit, it pains me to know that you two won't be around to hear my encore," said Dayu, turning back to the two Rangers.

" _ **SILENCIO!**_ "

Dayu gasped as the tune from her harmonica stopped. She looked down and pulled at the string again, but nothing happened. "What -?" she said, looking around.

"Sorry, but I prefer my music heavy," said Aliyah, landing in front of Kevin and Mia.

Dayu growled and removed her dagger again, pointing it at the White Ranger. "You're no Samurai!" she accused. "Why do you pretend?"

"You're right," said Aliyah, nodding. "I'm a Ninja. I may where the uniform of a Samurai, but our battle techniques are not that different. Besides, it doesn't matter whether I am one or the other, I can still beat you."

Dayu laughed. "Your confidence amuses me," she said.

"Yeah? Good. Because that confidence is about to end your concert!" said Aliyah. "Make your move, I dare you!"

Stepping back, Dayu took a deep breath and then blew a triple wave of black energy at Aliyah.

Aliyah smirked and attached a white spin disc to her sword. "Spin Sword!" she called. "Lightning Fury!"

Wielding the sword around her shoulders, and up over her head, Aliyah slashed it down through the wave of energy, slicing it in half.

Dayu grunted as she was propelled through the air. But she managed to land on her feet, not that far away. "I'll admit, white Ranger, you're pretty powerful," she said.

"Thanks," Aliyah said. "But I'm not done. Spin Sword - Lightning Bayard!" the small arrow-headed weapon appeared in her hand, its tip glowing with electrified energy. "How does this grab you?" she taunted, flicking her wrist. The Bayard emitted a strand of bright white lightning which wrapped itself around Dayu's waist and crackled with energy.

Dayu struggled and Aliyah tightened her grip.

"It's over, Dayu," said Aliyah.

From the corner of her eye, Aliyah spotted Jayden, Mike, and Emily arrive and help Mia and Kevin back to their feet. The pink and blue rangers had taken their time to recover from Dayu's attack, and Aliyah couldn't really blame them. From what she had seen, Dayu's Harmonia packed a punch.

Just then, a shadow fell over them as a hulking mass of muscle blocked out the sun. Aliyah couldn't see anything but a black silhouette, at least until the she felt her Bayard quiver and the strand disappeared.

"Hey!" Aliyah yelled realising what had happened. Her Bayard returned to her spin sword and Aliyah glared across the clearing at the familiar looking monster standing between her and Dayu. "You!" she accused.

The person that now stood before her was the weird-looking asshole from both Reefside and San Angeles; the same convicted monster that named his sword Uramasa.

"Who's that?" Mike asked.

"We meet again, White Ranger," the monster said, staring at Aliyah. "I hope you remember my sword - Uramasa."

Aliyah remained silent.

"I said we would meet again," the monster continued. "If you remember our first encounter. I said you were to be my ultimate fight. My sword longs to battle you."

"Yeah? Well your sword is going to have to wait a little longer," said Aliyah. "I'm busy!"

"Deker," Dayu gasped. "You came to save me?"

"Not quite," the monster, Deker replied.

"What?" Dayu asked. She sounded hurt, upset even.

"White Ranger, I care not for your business," Deker said. "We will duel soon."

"Are you hard of hearing or something?" Aliyah asked. "I told you, I have no intention of fighting you or your sword."

"You will fight, White Ranger," Deker said. "Or suffer the consequences." He then lowered his blade and turned to Dayu. He took hold of her arm and pulled her aside, leaping into the air and landing on a nearby cliff face.

Kevin rushed forward. "You're running away?" he called.

"Cowards!" Mia called.

Deker paused and turned back. "Until next time, White Ranger," he called. He then disappeared, taking Dayu with him.

Aliyah's grip tightened around her sword. What was this guy's deal?

 **~*Lightning Samurai*~**

Penelope giggled as she chased Ronny around the garden. She stopped short as the gates opened and the rangers walked in.

"Mommy!" Penelope squealed. She run over and threw herself into Aliyah's arms, and hugged her tightly. "Did you get the meanies, Mommy?"

Aliyah smiled and nodded. "Yeah, baby girl, we got the meanies," she said. She then spotted Ronny still lying on her back. "Are you beating up Auntie Ronny?"

"Yeah. I is being a Power Ranger," said Penelope. "Just like you! White lightning power!"

Aliyah laughed and set Penelope down, watching as she raced back over to Ronny and jumped on her back.

As the other Rangers made their way into the Shiba house, Aliyah parked herself on the front porch watching her daughter and friend play.

"Can I talk to you?" Jayden asked, stepping back outside.

Aliyah sighed. "I don't know who that person was protecting Dayu," she answered. "I didn't even know about Dayu until today."

"Well, that other Nighlok seemed to know you," said Jayden.

"This isn't my first encounter with him," said Aliyah.

Jayden frowned. "I thought you said you didn't know him?" he asked.

"I don't."

"Then how -?"

"Because he has tracked me down before now," said Aliyah. "Our first encounter was in Reefside back in 2004, and then he tracked me down to San Angeles in 2007. He says we have history, but I don't know what he is talking about."

"Any chance you could've met him before those two times?"

Aliyah shook her head. "I've been a Ranger for a long time, Jayden," she said. "I have met a lot of monsters, and most of them don't stay with me after I have destroyed them. But the ones that develop unhealthy obsessions with me? They stick. They always stick."

"So this guy?"

"I didn't even know his name until today - Deker."

Jayden was silent. He didn't know what to say next. He was concerned that there was a new power player roaming the streets of Panorama, especially one as powerful as Deker was.

"Do you think he's going to make do on his promise?" Jayden finally asked.

"Do you mean, do I think he's going to come after me?" Aliyah asked.

Jayden nodded.

Aliyah was silent as she stared at her hands. "There is no doubt in my mind that he will one day come for me," she confirmed. "But don't worry, Jayden. I can handle a rogue Ninja that likes to play monster."


End file.
